"Criticism and the Public Arts"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that "Criticism and the Public Arts" is a course that talks about art in society and about what is and is not accepted in society. The author points out that these issues need to be given a stronger academic treatment because the subject matter is not what decides whether a course of study is sufficiently rigorous but rather the methodology applied. The paper relates that a critique of public art is not merely a compendium of what one likes or does not like but instead necessarily includes an assessment of the appropriateness of the public art and of the complexities of communication. The author stresses that public art involves a number of decisions that can be characterized in theoretical terms and analyzed empirically as part of the process of developing an applicable theory.

From the Paper:

"Critic Ruth Slavin begins by considering the writing that supports public art, noting that it stresses two different but complementary ideas: 1) public art is considered to stand in a direct, unmediated relationship with the audience; and 2) public art is seen as an exercise in cultural democracy. Slavin is clear about the supposed result of this as she writes that "the placement of art outside the normal venues of the gallery and the museum becomes an important tool for enlarging the possibilities for participation in the fine arts." However, Slavin further finds these to be "liberal good intentions" often faced with "public incomprehension and hostility."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Camus, Albert. The Plague. New York: Vintage, 1948.
• Costa-Gavras. Missing. 1982.
• Davis, Peter. Hearts and Minds. 1974.
• Hellekson, Diane. "The Problems of Going Public." Utne Reader (March/April 1989), 24-25.
• Resnais, Alain. Night and Fog. 1955.

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