Ideas About Art

Ideas About Art is an intelligent, accessible introductory text for students interested in learning how to think about aesthetics.

It uses stories drawn from the experiences of individuals involved in the arts as a means of exposing readers to the philosophies, theories, and arguments that shape and drive visual art.

• An accessible, story-driven introduction to aesthetic theory and philosophy
• Prompts readers to develop independent ideas about aesthetics; this is a guide on how to think, not what to think
• Includes discussions of non-western, contemporary, and discipline-specific theories
• Examines a range of art-based dilemmas across a wide variety of disciplines — from art and design and law to visual and museum studies

List of Illustrations ix

Preface x

Acknowledgements xxii

1 Public Opinion/Public Art 1
I Don’t Know Anything About Art, But I Know What I Like!

2 Non-Western Ideas About What Art Is 15
Is Art Situational? Cultural? Biological? Universal?

3 Western Ideas About What Art Is 33

4 Beauty 52
Does Art Have to be Beautiful?

5 Expression and Aesthetic Experience 67

6 Art and Ethics 78
Morals and Religion

7 Political Art, Censorship, and Pornography 93
When Art Is Too Powerful, Cover It Up

8 Art and Economics 111

9 Feminist Art, Aesthetics, and Art Criticism 123
Where Were the Women in My Art History Books?

10 Postmodernist Art and Attitudes 142

11 Photography and New Media 156

12 (Re)Discovering Design 171

13 Art and Aesthetic Education 190

14 Artists, Art Critics, Art Historians, Curators, Museums, and Viewers 205
Making Art Ideas Your Own

Bibliography 224

Illustration Credits 239

Index 241

"This book will engage the serious reader of art theory with accessible language and interesting imagery and personal." (SchoolArts, 1 May 2014)

"This book provides many refreshingly-new ideas about art from many people and areas of the world, as well as open-ended, non-dogmatic discussions on many topics." (Biz India, 10 December 2012)

"This text offers art-interested students and general readers a sampling of ideas on a wide range of topics, in an accessible, non-intimidating manner." (Book News, 1 August 2011)

"This book will engage the serious reader of art theory with accessible language and interesting imagery and personal stories." (School Arts, 1 May 2014)

Kathleen Desmond is Professor of Art History and Byler Distinguished Faculty at the University of Central Missouri where she teaches aesthetics, art criticism and art history and writes about contemporary art and artists. Ideas about Art is an engaging and inspirational text that teaches students to apply critical theory and develop and support their own opinions concerning aesthetics and art theory. The text examines a range of art-based dilemmas, cases and instances of art in a multicultural context and across a wide variety of disciplines--from art and design and law to visual and museum studies. Organized into small chapters that begin with concrete stimuli for delving into deeper philosophical issues real and hypothetical--art's value, taste, the creative process, censorship, and aesthetic taste and theory--Ideas about Art includes stories from artists, art critics, art museum and art gallery professionals and philosophers, and brings art and aesthetics to life.