Synopses & Reviews
19 dialogues with artists, writers and philosophers on the meaning and purpose of art
Synopsis
In this series of nineteen dialogues with the art critic Suzi Gablik, artists, writers, and philosophers address the central questions of the meaning and purpose of art in an age of accelerating social change and spiritual uncertainty. According to the critic Hilton Kramer, art should be isolated from political and social issues. Contemporary artists such as Coco Fusco, meanwhile, explore new ways of making art that reconnects directly with the world. And Thomas Moore and James Hillman look at how art reflects the broader spiritual crises of our society as a whole.
Table of Contents
What is art for? / Ellen Dissanayake -- Doin' dirt time / Rachel Dutton and Rob Olds -- Making art about centipedes / Christopher Manes -- No art in the lifeboats / Hilton Kramer -- Ten thousand artists, not one master / Satish Kumar -- Creating the space for a miracle / David Plante -- When you're healed, send me a postcard / James Hillman -- You don't have to have a penis to be a genius / Guerrilla Girls -- Viewing the world as process / Carolyn Merchant -- Breaking out of the white cube / Richard Shusterman -- Searching for the essence of art / Arthur C. Danto -- Removing the frame / Mary Jane Jacob -- Two undiscovered aborigines dancing on the wound of history / Coco Fusco -- A few beautifully made things / Theodore Roszak -- Our students need the city / Carol Becker -- The liminal zones of soul / Thomas Moore -- The aesthetics of everyday life / Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett -- Adrift on the fickle seas of the art world / Laurie Zuckerman -- A farewell to modernism / Leo Castelli.