Who Belongs in Art Worlds?Arts Occupations, Institutions, Networks (continued) &

Mediation (Gatekeepers, Facilitators)

Source: V. Alexander Sociology of the Arts…(2003), p. 63.

Today’s Class Session

1. Theories of Who Belongs in Art Worlds &(J.Marontate)

2. Presentations & Discussion of Readings3. Guest Presentation on Research Resources

by Sylvia Roberts4. Finalizing student presentation dates &

reading choices

Who Belongs in Art Worlds?Arts Occupations, Institutions, Networks (continued) &

Mediation (Gatekeepers, Facilitators)

Source: V. Alexander Sociology of the Arts…(2003), p. 63.

Participants in art worlds --

Mediators

Creators/artists

Audiences/publics/consumers

art

Who Belongs to Art Worlds?

Life Drawing Class, Bocour Paintmaking Studio NYC, c. 1942

c.

Recall Overview: Internal vs. External Approaches

• Internal (Humanist--Internal (Humanist--aesthetics, history of the aesthetics, history of the arts, critics, etc.)arts, critics, etc.)

– art=mystery, art=mystery, spontaneous creation of spontaneous creation of isolated geniusisolated genius

– importance of “aura” of importance of “aura” of individual artist for individual artist for value of art workvalue of art work

– timeless, enduring timeless, enduring quality of beauty, quality of beauty, perfectionperfection

• External (Sociological--& External (Sociological--& cultural studies)cultural studies)

– Art=social production (and Art=social production (and reproduction)reproduction)

– importance of social importance of social networks for creation of networks for creation of belief in the artsbelief in the arts

– values change in different values change in different social & historic contexts social & historic contexts

Theories about changes in ideas about what art represents over time (J. Jurt)

– rendering of “reality” (nature), rendering of “reality” (nature), mimesis, imitatiomimesis, imitatio– as world view in a specific place & timeas world view in a specific place & time– as product of solitary genius (Renaissance)as product of solitary genius (Renaissance)– Artists’ vision (19th romanticism)Artists’ vision (19th romanticism)– made by “system” of production & receptionmade by “system” of production & reception– Socio-political processes (symbolic & material)Socio-political processes (symbolic & material)

Who creates the ‘creator’? (Bourdieu)

• ““Unit of analysis” in art studies often wrong--Unit of analysis” in art studies often wrong--– should not study “apparent” producers (painter, writer, should not study “apparent” producers (painter, writer,

actors etc.) but processes (art, artist part of broader field actors etc.) but processes (art, artist part of broader field of relationships)of relationships)

• ideology of creation conceals exploitation by market ideology of creation conceals exploitation by market forcesforces

• art trader or impressario =symbolic banker who art trader or impressario =symbolic banker who creates belief in the arts by creating belief in the creates belief in the arts by creating belief in the economic (and moral?) value of arteconomic (and moral?) value of art

Various criteria used in classifying art & artists, including:

• Position of artist in “field of production”Position of artist in “field of production”– Socio-political, economic positionSocio-political, economic position– ““aura” of the artist (aura” of the artist (authenticity)authenticity) -School of Frankfort, Walter -School of Frankfort, Walter

Benjamin-- “Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”)Benjamin-- “Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”)

• Features of the specific ‘field’Features of the specific ‘field’• Qualities/characteristics of the artworkQualities/characteristics of the artwork

– artistic category (genre, style etc.)artistic category (genre, style etc.)• characteristics of the audience/public (notion of characteristics of the audience/public (notion of

consecrationconsecration))– ““highbrow/lowbrow” tastes (Levine--The emergence of a cultural highbrow/lowbrow” tastes (Levine--The emergence of a cultural

hierarchy in America)hierarchy in America)– SESSES– sizesize

Howard Becker’s Art Worlds• Arts worlds Arts worlds include all the people involved in art-makinginclude all the people involved in art-making• Cooperative links through shared conventionsCooperative links through shared conventions• Study how participants “draw lines” and what art worlds doStudy how participants “draw lines” and what art worlds dohttp://home.earthlink.net/~hsbecker/• TypesTypes• Integrated professionalsIntegrated professionals• MavericksMavericks• Folk artistsFolk artists• Naïve artistsNaïve artists

• Classification according to how they fit in art worlds (degree of Classification according to how they fit in art worlds (degree of integration, consensus about the ‘rules of the game’, degree of integration, consensus about the ‘rules of the game’, degree of standardization, and in some cases– like folk art-- «uses»)standardization, and in some cases– like folk art-- «uses»)

What do art worlds do together?

• Develop shared practices Develop shared practices related to creation & related to creation & communication (ex. musical communication (ex. musical notation systems) notation systems)

• Mobilize resources (material Mobilize resources (material resources, training resources, training personnel, networks, personnel, networks, organizations)organizations)

• Develop Systems & Forms of Develop Systems & Forms of recognition, mediation, recognition, mediation, reception (gatekeeping, reception (gatekeeping, patronage, publics)patronage, publics)

Presentations of Readings• Pavan Thind

– Van Laar, T. and L. Diepeveen, 1997 "The Function of Artists in Society: Starving Celebrities and Other Myths", Active Sights. Art as social interaction., London, Mayfield: 51-69

• Pietro Sammarco– Becker, H. 1992 "Integrated Professionals, Mavericks, Folk Artists and

Naive Artists" Art Worlds. Berkley: U. Calif. Press: 226-272.

• Eliza Nguyen – Zolberg, Vera. 1990 “The Art Object as Social Process”. Constructing a

Sociology of the Arts. Cambridge University Press: 79-102.

• Madelynn Festing– Bennett, Andy. 2005 “Consolidating the Music Scenes Perspective” Poetics

21:223-234.

Different types of artists/artworlds (Becker)

• TypesTypes– Integrated professionalsIntegrated professionals– MavericksMavericks– Folk artistsFolk artists– Naïve artistsNaïve artists

• Classification according to how they fit in Classification according to how they fit in art worlds (degree of integration, art worlds (degree of integration, consensus about the ‘rules of the game’, consensus about the ‘rules of the game’, degree of standardization, and in some degree of standardization, and in some cases– like folk art-- «uses»)cases– like folk art-- «uses»)

Ranking Artists/Art Worlds (Becker’s 4 types)

• according to different ways according to different ways of working & career patternsof working & career patterns

• 1.1. integrated professionalsintegrated professionals– fit with accepted fit with accepted

conventions & canons conventions & canons held by organizationsheld by organizations

– well-trained --technical well-trained --technical skills, shared traditionsskills, shared traditions

2.Mavericks

• innovative rebels against innovative rebels against “system”“system”

• begin as conventional begin as conventional “novices” but “novices” but deliberatelydeliberately violate norms of art worldviolate norms of art world

• techniques for success-- techniques for success-- develop alternate systems develop alternate systems for distributionfor distribution

• do not totally lose touch do not totally lose touch with world of their mediumwith world of their medium

Kopyright Liberation Front’sKopyright Liberation Front’sBill Drummond at the “Brit Bill Drummond at the “Brit Awards”, 1993Awards”, 1993

3. Folk Art

• link with community practiceslink with community practices– ex. Duck decoys, ex. Duck decoys, quilts, chain-gang songs, , chain-gang songs,

Christmas pagentsChristmas pagents

• art serves needs, part of daily activitiesart serves needs, part of daily activities• follows aesthetic conventions, using follows aesthetic conventions, using

established procedures (ex. Sorting established procedures (ex. Sorting scraps by colour)scraps by colour)

• often part of well-organized community, often part of well-organized community, with informal trainingwith informal training

4. Naïve Art

• aka. “primitive” naïve, grassrootsaka. “primitive” naïve, grassroots• indiosynmcratic indiosynmcratic

– ex. James Hampton, Throne of the ex. James Hampton, Throne of the Third Heaven of the national Millenium Third Heaven of the national Millenium General AssemblyGeneral Assembly

– ex. Art of children and the insaneex. Art of children and the insane

• outsidersoutsiders– N.S. artist Maud Lewis, Henri Rousseau, N.S. artist Maud Lewis, Henri Rousseau,

Grandma MosesGrandma Moses

Van Laar and Diepeveen on “The function of Artists in Society”

– Another typologyAnother typology– Five roles:Five roles:

• Skilled workerSkilled worker• IntellectualIntellectual• EntrepreneurEntrepreneur• Social criticSocial critic• Social healerSocial healer

– Other dimensionsOther dimensions• Ex. Wittkower “Under the Sign of Ex. Wittkower “Under the Sign of

Saturn”Saturn”– Transformation from craftsperson to Transformation from craftsperson to

brooding geniuss brooding geniuss – Later to status of intellectual in Later to status of intellectual in

humanistic professionhumanistic profession

F. De Goya. Saturn devouring his son, c. 1821

Conceptual & practical problems in studying artists & artistic careers

• Establishing criteria for locating, identifiying artistsEstablishing criteria for locating, identifiying artists• ““Irrationality” of choices (P-M. Menger)Irrationality” of choices (P-M. Menger)

– Ex. Choosing poorer pay for more prestigious roles as an actorEx. Choosing poorer pay for more prestigious roles as an actor• In modern times -- clash between notions ofIn modern times -- clash between notions of

– career (regularities, patterns ) career (regularities, patterns ) – artistic recognition (singularities, unique, break with past)artistic recognition (singularities, unique, break with past)– The ‘triple game’ of contemporary art (transgressions of boundaries of The ‘triple game’ of contemporary art (transgressions of boundaries of

what is art , rejection by public, integration by arts professionals)—what is art , rejection by public, integration by arts professionals)—(Nathalie Heinich)(Nathalie Heinich)

Changing views about values of art can lead to changes in the status of the artist, artwork & the

social institutions & publics that support them

– Beaune Beaune Altarpiece

– PBS jazz series by Ken BurnsPBS jazz series by Ken Burns

– Examples of establishing Examples of establishing “cannons” through testimony “cannons” through testimony of “experts” (ex. critics, “of “experts” (ex. critics, “stars”, ”, fans) and changing shape of fans) and changing shape of artformsartforms

Unique artists, unique art works (individual) vs. social construction of

art/artists (Zolberg)

• Example: Problem of Multiples Example: Problem of Multiples – negotiating artistic values in negotiating artistic values in

context of new technologies context of new technologies – new ways of thinking about new ways of thinking about

connections between the connections between the artwork and the “aura” of the artwork and the “aura” of the artistartist

– Walter Benjamin-- “work of art Walter Benjamin-- “work of art in the age of mechanical in the age of mechanical reproduction”reproduction”

Research Resources for Studying Art Worlds

• Guest Presentation by Sylvia Roberts, SFU Librarian (Communication and Contemporary Arts)

Planning Short Assignments and Class Presentations

• Discussion of reading assignments and ideas Discussion of reading assignments and ideas for topics for case studiesfor topics for case studies