Unnatural Wonders: Essays from the Gap Between Art and Life

by Arthur C. Danto

Arthur C. Danto's essays not only critique bodies of work but reflect upon art's conceptual evolution as well, drawing for the reader a kind of "philosophical map" indicating how art and the criteria for judging it has changed over the twentieth century. In Unnatural Wonders the renowned critic finds himself at a point when contemporary art has become wholly pluralistic, even chaotic-with one medium as good as another-and when the moment for the "next thing" has already passed. So the theorist goes in search of contemporary art's most exhilarating achievements, work that bridges the gap between art and life, which, he argues, is now the definitive art of our time.

Danto considers the work of such young artists as John Currin and Renee Cox and older living masters including Gerhard Richter and Sol LeWitt. He discusses artists of the New York School, like Philip Guston and Joan Mitchell, and international talents, such as the South African William Kentridge. Danto conducts a frank analysis of Matthew Barney's The Cremaster Cycle , Damien Hirst's skeletons and anatomical models, and Barbara Kruger's tchotchke-ready slogans; finds the ghost of Henry James in the work of Barnett Newman; and muses on recent Whitney Biennials and art influenced by 9/11. He argues that aesthetic considerations no longer play a central role in the experience and critique of art. Instead art addresses us in our humanity, as men and women who seek meaning in the "unnatural wonders" of art, a meaning that philosophy and religion are unable to provide.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Essays, Philosophy

Paperback

First published February 16, 2005

About the author

Arthur C. Danto was Johnsonian Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Columbia University and art critic for The Nation. He was the author of numerous books, including Unnatural Wonders: Essays from the Gap Between Art and Life, After the End of Art, and Beyond the Brillo Box: The Visual Arts in Post-Historical Perspective.

Reviews

[Denise Spicer · Rating 2 out of 5]

With the subtitle “The Gap Between Art and Life” the book sounded interesting but in fact is a dull treatise with academic/scholarly pretensions and focus. Almost exclusively about the art industry establishment and will likely appeal primarily to Art Students/Critics and possibly gallery owners and professors. Covers “in” celebrity artists (such as Picasso and Yoko Ono), contemporary art and politics. Perhaps due to the author’s philosophical bent the text seems dry and almost unreadable.

[Andrew]

Honestly, I'm not immersed in the world of contemporary art, and so much fo this was over my head, even as I kept Google Image Search open pretty consistently as I read. The Danto-the-philosopher I know and admire was, by and large, absent. There was a lot more of Danto-the-critic. I therefore have some difficulty commenting. However, when he went philosophical, I found more to appreciate, even if there was precious little of that here.

[Wayne]

I didn't really give it up. It's one of those things I read when I feel like I don't know about art. And then I read Arthur C. Danto and realize, he just sort of knows about art, moreover, knows more about talking like he's the pre-eminent authority on artistic meaning. But sometimes he is, and sometimes he's just full of shit.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful introduction to Danto's essays and the world of contemporary art. It's evident in the writing that Danto is thoroughly delighted by contemporary art and, of course, incredibly well versed in the branch of aesthetics.