نظریه هنر

Very Short Introductions #083

by Cynthia A. Freeland, رحیم قاسمیان (Translator)

کتاب حاضر کتابی است دربارۀ اینکه هنر چه چیزی است، چه معنایی دارد و چرا برای آن ارزش قایل هستیم ـ در واقع کتابی است در مورد موضوع‌هایی که به‌طور سرسری «نظریۀ هنر» نام گرفته‌اند. در این کتاب نظریه‌های مختلف هنر: نظریۀ آیینی، نظریۀ شکل‌گرایانه (فرمالیستی)، نظریۀ تقلید، نظریۀ توصیفی، نظریۀ ادراکی و نظریۀ پست‌مدرنیستی را، اما نه به ترتیب و یک به یک، مورد موشکافی قرار خواهیم داد.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Art History, Theory, History, Ebooks

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Cynthia A. Freeland is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of Womens Studies at the University of Houston. She has published several essays on aesthetics and film, and is the coeditor of Film and Philosophy (1995).

Reviews

[Robert Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

You won't get what you're expecting when you read this book. At least, I didn't. I was expecting a summary of the mostly French theory that has influenced thinking about art in the U.S. over the past few decades, along with certain Anglo-American followers. I was expecting October magazine for beginners. But Freeland takes a much more expansive view, looking at art theory from Plato forward. So Foucault and Baudrillard are mentioned, but so are Hume, Kant, Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle, Nietsche, John Dewey, Thomas McEvilley, Pierre Bourdieu (who is French, but feels like he comes from a different place than the post-structuralists), the Guerrilla Girls, Linda Nochlin, Leo Tolstoy, Freud, Nelson Goodman, Walter Benjamin and Marshall McLuhan. And the structure of the book is thematic rather than chronological. All this is to its benefit--it doesn't read like a rehashing of Artforum articles. Its major fault is also one of its major virtues. It is too brief to examine any given theory with sufficient depth, but by being so brief, it is a quick read.

[Irene Alorda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Té una estructura temàtica mooolt bona pels que ens aproximem a l’art més des de la literatura o la filosofia. Molt rebé!

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Renewed my faith in Oxford scholars and their ability to have intelligent things to say about wide ranging and intriguing topics. It helped me get into Freeland’s train of thought as she refers to each chapter and their uncovering of works of art from around the world as a virtual tour. It may all be a handy metaphorical device, yet she reveals how virtual reality technology would be the game-changing art media, twelve years ahead of her time! Many of the artists, world renowned and niche market alike, are given their couple page’s due, but the real star are the theorists who help bridge the gap between the work and its audience.

[Max Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to art theory, divided into chapters dealing with a certain topic and how it relates to art. For example, you get a chapter on money, and digressions on Damien Hurst's The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living and van Gogh's Irises, and a chapter on women in art (my favorite chapter) with digressions on Cindy Sherman's Untitled Film Stills and the Gorilla Girls. It also explains Serrano's Piss Christ quite well, and has a general introduction involving theories on beauty. Worth the $10 or so it'll set you back, anyway.

[lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the stuff in the chapter on digital media was really funny given this book was published the year I was born, but otherwise very good.

[Marco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sendo o meu primeiro livro sobre o tema, tenho dificuldade em avaliar a qualidade do conteúdo. É interessante a forma como aborda as várias teorias filosóficas, com exemplos práticos, mas carece de alguma organização/sistematização.
Tudo fica mais estranho quando entra pela teoria crítica (felizmente, apenas um capítulo). A forma como pseudo-enquadra a fatwa lançada sobre Salmon Rushdie é absolutamente bizantina.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know these are introductions but I think the tone of this one is lower than some of the other VSI's. Whilst there are some very strong chapters and theories outlined (some of the best writing is Chapter 7 about technology and changing relations to art, as well as the discussed definitions of art) I feel that there are a lot of very open ended questions left hanging - not left to be explored but mentioned and then tossed aside. This detracted from the feeling that this was purposeful and focused in places. Either more depth needed on the issues raised, or perhaps a smaller remit in the first place. Very good writing about feminist changes to art theory and art history and some interesting stuff on museum spaces.

[Frederik · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the title says. Very well written, clear and highly informative. If you (like me) have no real notion about art theory, this is an excellent place to start. It made me curious to know more about the subject. I read this in combination with John Berger's Ways of Seeing, recommended. It's the fast-track way to becoming the smart all-knowing art critic who will impress your friends on visits to the museum - without actually having to study for it.

[dogman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book does NOT feature good analysis and comparison of different art theories/philosophies. It instead presents a lot of data (i.e. examples of art in various times and cultures) and very briefly explains a theory that might accommodate the data, sometimes not even naming the theory, then moving on to new data.

It's also very soft with its definitions, expecting the reader to just know what is meant by "rightness of render" and other ambiguous terms.

A significant portion of the book is dedicated to obviously lacking art definitions from the past, like medieval definitions and definitions based on beauty from 18th century. I would prefer less time spent on these and more on modern theories that would actually be useful for thinking about contemporary art.

Finally, the book does not address the question of the need and possibility of "one true" definition of art or any meta-art-theory at all.

Overall, it's a nice if very surface level guide over notable things in art history with some name drops of art theorists and theories, but it's no Principia Mathematica of Art Theory.

[رائد الجشي · Rating 4 out of 5]

الكتاب يقدم تطور النظر الى الفن كحالة نقدية جمعية وخروج الفنانين عن قواعد الفن عبر العصور واختلافها وتناقضها في التعريف وفيما يمكن ان ينظر اليه على كونه فنا.. هذا الانتقال المختصر والمكثف من القديم جدا حتى عصرنا الحالي بأسلوب سلس وترجمة أنيقة يستحق القراءة
الكتاب موجز فعلا ولكنه مشبع بكلمات مفاتيح تفتح ابواب البحث والقراءة خارج الكتاب أثناء القراءة وما بعدها.

[ریچارد · Rating 3 out of 5]

اگر هنر را چیزی بدانیم و برای توصیف آن تمثیل سرزمین ناشناخته را بپذیریم، از آنجایی که داشتن راهنما این روزها امری دشوار است، برای پیدا کردن راه و بی هدف قدم نزدن، استفاده از کتاب هایی که تصویری مبهم، آن طور که نقشه ها در بیابان برایمان فراهم می کنند، نزدیک ترین انتخاب است.
کتاب «نظریه هنر» حتی با در نظر گرفتن بی حوصلگی خواننده، چندان بلند نیست و با توجه به دشوار بودن انتقال مفاهیم هنر در قالب نوشته و ترجمه، به نظرم باید از این موضوع خوشحال بود. اشارات جزیی و اسم بردن از چند فیلسوف و منتقد و هنرمند و جریان هایی که در آن ها حضور داشتنه اند، با توجه به اینکه احتمالا قرار نیست آخرش هم بفهمیم هنر چیست، برای ایجاد تصویر مبهمی که به دنبال آن هستیم کفایت می کند.
شخصا ترجیح می دهم از این به بعد به صورت جزیی تر به خواندن در مورد هنرمندان موردعلاقه م ادامه بدهم، اگون شیله، فرانتس کافکا، وینست ونگک و جان راسکین.

[Michela O'Brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting book that gives a great overview of a broad subject. Perfect for a first dip-in. I gave it 4.5 stars only because it would have needed more illustrations, possibly in colour. There were also references to 'plates' that were not actually in the book. But that is not the author's fault.

[Dûr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for school.

A basic overview of the art world up until 2008. Worked as a nice repetition of what's been on the curriculum so far, with some unique inclusions of art examples. Freeland is also more open about her view upon art-history's lack of women. Though that's nothing new and surface-level like the rest of the book (but in so few pages, I suppose that's to be expected on such a broad field), it was included without being overtly political. The most interesting aspects, I found to be the parts that discussed art's value in correlation to the marked. It inspired me to delve deeper into that aspect of art theory. The last chapter also peaked my interests with its inclusion of new media, but it was too shallow to learn much; the parts about the internet, like Freeland basically stated herself, already feels horribly outdated, but I suppose she was right to mention it.

Like the title of the book states, this is a _very_ short introduction. If you are just starting to study art theory and want a broad view of what's what, I would recommend the book. It's a cheap and fast way to get your bearings and could inspire you to delve deeper into the theories of some of the philosophers mentioned.

[Alisa Cupcakeland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an enjoyable reading for me. This book won't make you an expert on art theory, but will introduce you to some of its debates. I like that it tries to be as broad as possible by for example dedicating a chapter to non-western art and explaining different theories in the field of art that can range from classic anthropology to gender studies and postcolonialism.

I also appreciated that instead of giving an historical account of art theory and its development she moved swiftly throughout different themes in art theory such as the market, gender issues, understanding art, art and the digital world, etc.

I loved Cynthia's humor. I was laughing so much when I read subtitles like McLuhan meets MTV or when she mentions how some people call Baudrillard "the high priest of postmodernism". And I can understand these jokes may not be for everyone but I appreciated them because academia does not need to be so serious about itself all the time.

I also liked that Cynthia is unafraid to state what her opinion is regarding certain theories and properly give arguments to support her views. Lastly, this book won't really give you answers, but rather expose you to some of the debates around the field of art theory so you can further explore them according to your interests.

[Aron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent entry in the very short introductions series. Read this one instead of the art history one. It covers quite a bit of the same ground but provides more thoughtful and thought-provoking coverage.

The author provide clear and useful explanations of both classical, modern and post modern theories of art. I appreciate her ability to both give a fair presentation of ideas while challenging their validity.

While the theories presented are interesting and sometimes useful, personally I am more skeptical than her (and most of the theorists she discusses) of the “moral” or political value of art. Humans have and always will use art as a source of political power or economic exploitation or mass control. Trying to apply moral (good vs bad) or political (progressive vs fascist) categories is ultimately an exercise in futility and inevitably misleading. Nonetheless, human creativity is what defines our species, and authentic artistic expression will endure no matter what medium is used to express it.

[J Grimsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this series but the last book on Geography that I read put me off. This book by Cynthia Freeland is really a very good if slightly dated (published 2001) entry into a field I knew little about. It makes me want to follow up on aspects of art theory. It is inclusive in it's attitude and in a refreshing was Cynthia uses I when she expresses opinions and does not narrow choices too much. I may be being unfair but I would like a little more on popular/folk music for example and a clear statement of Marxist Aesthetic theory would be good to. However you cannot fit in everything into a short introduction. Do read this if you are interested in Art Theory it does what it says on the cover.

[Lily April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally finished! A great book that I would give it around 3.5 - I didn't feel I loved it enough for 4 stars. It was good for some more art knowledge as well as looking at philosophy, but my one complaint is that I didn't feel there was enough emphasis or teaching on the 'theory' side. I know its labelled as an introduction, and it very much gave that, but at the beginning it claims to teach you of these theories and I feel by the end I couldn't explain one without a fact check in the book. Perhaps that's just me and my memory, but it felt more like a art with philosophy book than truly 'Art Theory'. Nothing takes away from how much I love these short introduction books though!

[Jefferson Fortner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love these little short introduction books published by Oxford University Press. They are (as stated in every title) a quick introduction to various academic topics. Freeland gives an overview of philosophical thinking about “what is art” and why art matters. The topics covered are very Western Civilization focused. I would have enjoyed learning what has been said on the subject in Eastern countries, or in the Southern Hemisphere. There was a bit of the point of view from Africa, but still just a bit. Still, don’t let this be too much of a criticism. There were many things here which I had not come across before or which I am only passingly familiar with.

[Otto Hahaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

On kaksi tapaa tehdä ”Very short introduction”-kirja, voidaa joko kirjoittaa uusi essee tai ottaa joku vanha kirja ja pyyhkiä pois sanoja, kunnes tekstiä ei enää ole liikaa. Yleensä ensimmäiselle tavalla tehdyt kirjat ovat parempia. Tämä kirja on ilmeisesti tehty jälkimmäisellä tavalla, esimerkiksi muutaman kerran viitataan kuvaliitteeseen, jota tietenkään ei ole. Mutta ei kirja huono ole, olisi voinut vaan ollut parempi. Se ei imaissut mukaansa, mutta kyllä siitä asioita oppii jos jaksaa pysyä mukana. Olisin toki mieluummin lukenut jonkun vetävämmän paksumman kirjan.

[M. Ashraf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art Theory
A Very Short Introduction #83
Cynthia A. Freeland

What is art, taste, beauty, ugly, opinion, perspective questions with a philosophical flavor all over the chapters, I did not expect that but it was a good surprise, and very informative.
And this book is one of the reasons why I like this series, it is simple, it is short and it adds to your knowledge.
A very good book with a great writing style too.

[Ella Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much more engagingly written than others in the series, this guide is comprehensive and really interesting. Most of the time, Freeland does a good job at summing up complex philosophical ideas in a short paragraph or two. The last chapter is this book's weakest point as the constant references to the CD-ROM and the 'Web' are so dated, as is some of the discussion of how technology will change art and the art world.

[Susana Valvidares · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una buena introducción a diversas teorías estéticas y a cómo enfrentarse a una obra de arte. Trata temas muy variados, como la interpretación de la obra de arte, el impacto de las nuevas tecnologías y las diferentes discusiones académicas que esto suscita, el papel de los museos, el dinero que mueve… Ofrece una perspectiva bastante general, y propone lecturas para profundizar en los distintos temas, así que es una buena toma de contacto.

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Freeland takes us through a whirlwind tour of art and its various explanatory theories. This was a highly enjoyable read, and one which absorbs easily. However, depth was sacrificed for breadth and engagement, but Freeland still does an admirable job for a Very Short Introduction.

[Review #1 - 13/07/17.]

[Danika E. Hollis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a repackaged marketing project form of WHAT IS ART? by the same author. If you like thinking about art and seeing pictures of that art—get the other version. It is much better. This version has dark b&w pictures of only some of the works mentioned. Also, plates? There should have been a copy edit between other version and this one.

[dane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely a very dated account, I didn’t realise it was written in 2001. The last 80-pages were much better and interesting - still, a decent springboard for me into the world of art theory. Would recommend finding a different introduction if this is your sort of thing (any other art history students on here?).

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little book. Copywrite 2003. If you recall the Brooklyn Museum Sensation exhibit as if it were yesterday this is for you. It does seem to have been issued under another title earlier, presumably with the Plates referred to in the text. Too risqué for this series?

[Betsie Bush · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book covered a wide range of topics that I hadn't thought deeply about before. It also covered many different types of art in its examples, which was refreshing.

[Brandi Fox]

I don’t know if it is my favorite overview of how to interact well with art, but it’s definitely not the worst and it led to good conversations.

[Mufti Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books is a good place to start understanding art for people that don't really have backgrounds in art. An informative one and pleasurable to read.

[Patricia Boksa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A readable little book on a selection of topics. Fairly interesting.