The Art Question

With help of carefully chosen illustrations and photographs, from Cezanne and Van Gogh to Francis Bacon, Andy Warhol and the Osmond family, Nigel Warburton brings a philosopher's eye to art in a refreshingly jargon-free style.

'Invaluable... a sound introduction.... Warburton guides the reader gently and accessibly through some of the most influential theories of the twentieth century... He deftly applies the standard tools of philosophy, such as counter-examples and the detection of circular reasoning, to a field that is prone to vagueness, pretentiousness and sometimes elastic notions of meaning and language.... an excellent introduction to the philosophy of art.' - Think 'Nigel Warburton brings a philosopher's eye to the debate ... to explore with admirable clarity, the factors that might turn a roomful of chocolate into a work of art, and why it matters.' - The Independent 'Nigel Warburton brings clarity, philosophical acuity, and conciseness to the long-standing problem of defining art...For readers new to the problem, the theories are explained in an engaging way and assessed systematically, whith discussion supported throughout by significant, up-to-date cases from the art world.' Emily Brady, The British Journal of Aesthetics

Autorentext
Nigel Warburton

Klappentext

"What is art?" is a question many of us want to ask but are afraid to. This is the very question that Nigel Warburton demystifies in this brilliant and accessible book. Using carefully chosen illustrations and photographs, from Cezanne and Van Gogh to Francis Bacon, Andy Warhol and the Osmond family, best-selling author Nigel Warburton brings a philosopher's eye to art in a refreshingly jargon-free style.
Nigel Warburton explains with customary clarity much discussed but little understood theories of art: art as significant form; art as expression; art as family resemblance; and the institutional theory of art. He brings to life the arguments of the thinkers behind these theories, such as Clive Bell, R. G. Collingwood and Wittgenstein, and illuminates other perplexing problems in art, such as the artist's intention, representation and emotion. Drawing on photographs of Cindy Sherman and Tiananmen Square, Warburton shows that, if we are ever to answer the art question, we must consider each work of art on its own terms.
A stimulating and handy guide through the art maze, "The Art Question" is essential reading for anyone interested in art, philosophy and looking at pictures.

Inhalt
Introduction: Art and Philosophy 1. Significant Form 2. Expression of Emotion 3. Family Resemblances 4. Institutional Contexts 5. So What? A Hypothesis. Notes. Further Reading. Bibliography. Index.