Assessing Socially Engaged Art
Accepted version
Peer-reviewed
Repository URI
Repository DOI
Change log
Authors
Simoniti, Vid https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5832-9587
Abstract
The last twenty-five years have seen a radical shift in the work of politically committed artists. No longer content to merely represent social reality, a new generation of artists has sought to change it, blending art with activism, social regeneration projects, and even violent political action. I assess how this form of contemporary art should lead us to rethink theories of artistic value and argue that these works make a convincing case for an often-dismissed position, namely, the pragmatic view of artistic value. However, the pragmatic view, when properly applied, sets the bar high indeed—art that tries to change society should be considered good art only when it succeeds in making a tangible difference.
Description
Keywords
3601 Art History, Theory and Criticism, 36 Creative Arts and Writing
Journal Title
Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism
Conference Name
Journal ISSN
0021-8529
1540-6245
1540-6245
Volume Title
76
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell