Description
[Social Practice Program] Writing in 1997, the art critic Arthur Danto asserted that contemporary art had become philosophy and that artists were essentially philosophers. While Danto’s claim may have some validity in regards to the “fine arts” of painting, sculpture and architecture, it is unquestionably problematic due to his decidedly modernist and, dare we say, inaccurate concept of what constitutes “art.” This course, which is rooted in a Darwinian theory of art, will show that artists have long assumed countless roles within Western and non-Western societies, as they do today. Moreover, the art they produced has contributed significantly to our evolution as a species. As this course will demonstrate, artists have forever altered the fabric of human society and contributed greatly to its development; and they continue to do so. Lastly, to underscore the last point, particular emphasis will be given to the many roles artists play in contemporary American culture.