New Technology and Art World

1371 Words3 Pages

From African nkisi nkondi fetish statues to Andy Warhol’s Brillo boxes, today’s art world exhibit many strange things, which leads perplex viewers to question – is this really art? In the question she poses as the title of her book, But is it art?, Cynthia Freeland proposes an initiative to speak directly to everyday audience and serious art critics and students bewildered by various artworks in museums, galleries, and anywhere else in the community. In the course of seven chapters, Freeland introduces and examines several primary theories in the art world: ritual theory, theories of taste and beauty, imitation theory, expression and cognitive theories, and theories that emphasize global communication. Concerning the nature of visually apprehensible art, she attempts to answer a number of familiar questions regarding the value of art. To answer the question, how to define art, Freeland discusses the theories of distinguished ancient, modern, and postmodern philosophers from Plate to Danto. Furthermore, she examines commentaries offered by art critics to bring the art from the past, art from the modern contemporary ear, and ideas about them under a postmodern analysis. Throughout the book, Freeland explores the difficulties associated with interpreting an art work and examines the relationship of art with beauty, culture, money, sex, and new technology. Arguing about issues varying from the impact of museums on the value of art to the lack of female artists in society and the communication of art via expression and cognition to the effect of new technology on the art world, she endeavors to claim that the role and meaning of art in the modern era is remarkably affected by numerous factors. One of the most prominent chapter... ... middle of paper ... ...computer screen. Similarly, even though advanced technologies allow the viewers to completely immerse and interact with the art world, the works yet remain no more than images on screen. The audience can explore various details and aspects of a particular piece and engage in discussions with other viewers around the world. However, is it similar to the experience we would engage in if we were in the presence of original artwork and other viewers? Even though people have unlimited access to art around the globe and opportunities to develop new connections, as Freeland observes “users remain isolated before their screens” (Freeland 204). For all the knowledge an ease of communication the Internet offers, the mass, nonetheless, remains disconnected from the astonishing experience of viewing artwork in person and from ‘integral awareness’ across the global village.

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