(Re)Thinking "Art"
A Guide for Beginners
1. Edition February 2008
188 Pages, Hardcover
Textbook
Short Description
(Re)Thinking "Art": A Guide for Beginners is a primer that considers the term "art," what it means and why it matters. Rather than being about any particular sort of art --visual or otherwise-- the book addresses the idea of "art" in all, in all its messy complexity, and offers meaningful access to the vast array of human products to which it refers.
How does this term "art" work, and why does it matter? Written by an award-winning teacher as a response to the challenge increasingly voiced by many of his students, "What is 'art,' anyway, and why should I care?" this book is a welcome response that aims to bring readers into meaningful relationships with art. In the process, it teaches them to think, both critically and creatively, not only about "art" but about anything at all. (Re)Thinking "Art": A Guide for Beginners is a wonderful read for both students and all those would-be art mavens who find themselves wondering what to make of art today.
Acknowledgments.
Preface.
Introduction: What's The Big Idea?.
1. Art: Who ... Me?.
2. About Language.
3. The History of "Art".
4. The "History of Art".
5. "Art," Lately.
6. Against Skepticism.
7. And So ... What?.
Index