Week 8 - Art and Aesthetics Flashcards
What was Alfred Gell’s controversial theory of art?
Gell argued that art objects have a special form of agency.
What is Art?
Though there is no agreed anthropological definition they are without a doubt creations that evoke an aesthetic response. This may also be a religious response. This aesthetic response may be individual, but it is also governed by cultural conventions.
Explain the relationship between art and capitalism
Art is a technology of enchantment. It ensures us and makes us buy things based on this, in the process creating a relationship between trader and purchaser.
What is millers definition of art?
He defines art as a process. “The application of imagination, skill and style to matter, movement and sound that goes beyond the purely practical”.
What are the differences between millers’ and Gell’s theory?
Miller argued that only artists have agency, where as Gell states that it is the art itself which has agency.
What two ways of looking at skin did Gell identify?
- That skin is outside. Inside is more important than outside, thus: skin doesn’t tell us about the real person. And 2. That skin is outside. Others relate to the outside. People are formed through their relations with other, thus: the real person is shown in his or her skin.
Explain the relationship between Polynesian tattooing and social organisations
Polynesian tattoos indicate hierarchy, geographical and family identity. They are also like a rite of passage, such a initiation through a shared pain and accompanied revelry. It was also used as a form of resistance to Christian hierarchy in the 1800.
Explain the Trobiand Canoe prow in relation to art and aestheticism.
The Trobiand Canoe prow is intended to enchant their trading partners. It influences deals made between kula partners. It is art with a purpose.
