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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 704
EAN: 9780192853677
ISBN: 0192853678
Label: Oxford University Press, USA
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 256
Publication Date: April 04, 2002
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Sales Rank: 52985
Studio: Oxford University Press, USA
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
From Andy Warhol's Brillo boxes to provocative dung-splattered madonnas, in today's art world many strange, even shocking, things are put on display. This often leads exasperated viewers to exclaim--is this really art?
In this invaluable primer on aesthetics, Freeland explains why innovation and controversy are so highly valued in art, weaving together philosophy and art theory with many engrossing examples. Writing clearly and perceptively, she explores the cultural meanings of art in different contexts, and highlights the continuities of tradition that stretch from modern, often sensational, works back to the ancient halls of the Parthenon, to the medieval cathedral of Chartres, and to African nkisi nkondi fetish statues. She explores the difficulties of interpretation, examines recent scientific research into the ways the brain perceives art, and looks to the still-emerging worlds of art on the web, video art, art museum CD-ROMS, and much more. She also guides us through the various theorists of art, from Aristotle and Kant to Baudrillard. Throughout this nuanced account of theories, artists, and works, Freeland provides us with a rich understanding of how cultural significance is captured in a physical medium, and why challenging our perceptions is, and always has been, central to the whole endeavor.
It is instructive to recall that Henri Matisse himself was originally derided as a "wild beast." To horrified critics, his bold colors and distorted forms were outrageous. A century later, what was once shocking is now considered beautiful. And that, writes Freeland, is art.
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
It may not be as complex as some readers are looking for, but it is an excellent place to start when contemplating "Why is THAT art?" You won't get bogged down trying to decipher lots of theory, but you will get some of the art history and the theory that is necessary to understand where the art world is today and what made it that way. Just the right amount of color plates and black & white illustrations to help those unfamiliar with the works mentioned.
Rating:  -
The author has tacked an immense subject and skims the surface by discussing some of the many different theories of art. Her desire to keep the discussion straightforward and brief results in sometimes heavy-handed simplification (to the point of dumbing down) the ideas she discusses, but the book is still a useful introduction to thinking about art.
I found myself disappointed with the book in a number of ways, and I'll discuss a couple of them here. First, the author has discussed ... Read More
Rating: -
On the subject of art (or should it be Art?): Freeland's book is a good and relevant treatment of the issue, low of jargon and high on no nonsense sociology. I was surprised, however, to see no treatment of the historical rise of "nobrow" artistic culture and no philosophical and socio-aesthetic analysis of the phenomenon. In general there was almost no analysis of literature/literary fiction. C'mon, art is not equivalent to the visual culture. Let me just say that this astonishing gap is filled by ... Read More
Rating: -
The book was delivered in a timely manner. I needed it for a class-it was concise though a little boring unless it's your field.
Rating: -
I had to buy this book for class. It's actually a good book. I'm glad I bought it.
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