Art, Elitism, Authenticity and Liberty

This book excavates the depths of creative purpose and meaning-making and the extent to which artist autonomy and authenticity in art is a struggle against psychological conditioning, controlling cultural institutions and markets, key to which is representation. The chapters are underpinned by examples from the arts, and the narrative weaves a trail through a range of conceptualizations that are applied to various aspects of visual culture from mainstream canonical arts to avant-garde, community and public art; social and political art to commercial art; and ethereal art to the popular, edgy and kitsch. The book is wide-ranging and employs various aesthetic, cultural, philosophical, political, psycho-social and sociological debates to highlight the problems and contradictions that an encounter with the arts and creativity engenders. The book will be of interest to scholars working in art history, museum studies, arts management, cultural policy, cultural studies and cultural theory.

Paul Clements is Lecturer at Goldsmiths College, University of London. He is the author of The Outsider, Art and Humour (Routledge, 2020) and The Creative Underground: Art, Politics and Everyday Life (Routledge, 2017).

1. Introduction 2. What is 'Art' and Who Is the 'Artist'? 3. Art, Function and Social Impact 4. Functional Art: Autonomy, Morality, Constructivism and Commodification 5. The Possibilities and Limitations of Art 6. The Edges of Art 7. Populism and Elitism: Hybrid, Marginal and Post-Autonomous Art 8. Schizoid Art Without Boundaries 9. Paradox, Collusion, Ambiguity and Emancipation