Some definitions of art |
Account for first art? |
Account for avant- garde art? |
Account for new artforms and genres (e.g., jazz, photography) |
Strengths | More Problems |
Family resemblance Art objects resemble each other like members of a family do |
No |
Not ready-mades |
Perhaps |
Ready-Made art resembles non-art more than other art |
|
Radical stipulativism Experts arbitrarily decisions determine what is art |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Seems to describe how artworld often functions | Gets things backwards and makes art designation arbitrary |
Aes functionalism Art if intended for aes experience of aes properties |
Yes |
No; can’t account for art that lacks or rejects aes properties |
Yes (doesn’t require reference to established art) |
Defines art by its function |
|
Institutional theory Artist created it to be presented to the artworld |
No as no art institution back then |
Yes; allows for found and ready-made art |
Yes |
Stresses importance of artworld to art |
|
Historicism Art if properly related to its artistic predecessors |
No as no predecessors |
No as this art often aims to reject the tradition |
No as historically unprecedented genres not so related |
Can explain why not everything can be made to be art at every time |
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