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A History of Art Controversies in American Culture
Knopf
October 2006
On Sale: September 26, 2006
480 pages
ISBN: 1400041295
EAN: 9781400041299
Hardcover
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Non-Fiction
From the early years of the American Republic to the
present, art and architecture have consistently aroused
major disputes among artists, critics, scholars,
politicians, and ordinary citizens. Now one of our most
respected cultural historians chronicles these clamorous
debates about the public appropriateness of paintings,
sculpture, memorials, and monuments. Michael Kammen examines the nature, diversity, and
persistence of major disputes generated by art and artists
and shows what has changed since the 1830s and why. He looks
at the role of artists and patrons, local and national
governments, conservatives and liberals, and the media in
creating and sustaining heated controversies. We see the
notable acceleration of such episodes since the 1960s; the
effect of the democratization of American museums; the quest
for provocative shows to attract crowds; the increased
visibility resulting from the public art movement that has
stirred anger and created some of our stormiest battles; the
desire of many artists and galleries to shock, provoke, and
contest, engendering the perplexity, if not outright
hostility, of audiences; the use of art as social criticism;
the effort to include and appeal to minorities; the threat
of litigation and the role of courts; and the
commercialization stemming from dependence on corporate
sponsorship. Kammen�s central themes include such questions as, What kind
of art is most appropriate for a democratic society? What
should our relationship be to Old World criteria of
excellence in the arts? How can we achieve a distinctively
American art? Why have so many controversies hinged upon
issues of nudity, decency, and sexuality? Why has public art
(most notably sculpture) become so politicized that began in
the late 1960s? He explores the �death-of-art� debate since
the 1970s and issues of censorship that have arisen over
time. Finally, he asks whether art controversies have
invariably had a negative effect�noticing the interesting
ways in which minds have been changed and museums have
overcome difficult episodes. He also reminds us that when
New York�s Museum of Modern Art celebrated its twenty-fifth
anniversary, President Dwight Eisenhower declared �as long
as artists are at liberty to feel with high personal
intensity, as long as our artists are free to create with
sincerity and conviction, there will be healthy controversy
and progress in art.� Kammen agrees.
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