Art Theory

Art theory shift since late 1970s toward semiotics, cultural theory, and pan-humanities critical theory

* Academic pan-humanities-social science theory becomes part of the professionalization of artworld careers: curators, art historians, critics.
* Identity politics theory wave from early 1980s-mid 1990s (race, class, gender theory; feminisms).
* So-called "culture wars" debates in public-funded art and political alignments of artists and artworld (1970s-early 1990s).
* Question of the "state of the arts today" is largely overdetermined and generated through an institutional context and a universe of discourse used to pose questions and posit answers.

Semiotics, intertextuality (intermediality) and the current art scene

* Differentiating synchronic (concurrent relationships) and diachronic (historical narrative) analysis, art in social and economic relations
* Meaning viewed through semiotic model of differences and oppositions that structure the possible cultural significance of work
* Viability of the "semiotic square" of oppositions and differentiations in analyzing art in a social context: network of relations is more complex than simple oppositional model.
* Intertextuality: a model for "intermediality": art making and art interpreting in contexts of prior work, traditions, codes, and values assumed by interpretive community.
o Intertextuality refers to the network of content and code interdependencies for meaning, prior and concurrent works presupposed for the intelligibility of the work being viewed
o What do the art works themselves and the "communities of practice" or "communities of reception" unconsciously presuppose about prior and contemporary work through which (and only through which) the work is intelligible?
o A text is intelligible only through "a mosaic of references and quotations that have lost their origins" (Kristeva's definition of intertextuality). Art works are similar in mosaics of implied references and responses.
o What is already encoded, part of a cultural encyclopedia, prior to anyone's interpretation (Eco).
* Now we have "intermediation" (all media, beyond intertextuality): network of presupposed prior and contemporary works through which anything is interpreted.
* Semiosis: art works in ongoing chain or dialogue of interpretations and responses; meaning produced through semiotic structure like language and other symbolic forms.
* "The interpretation of a text will always take the form of another text." (Eco)
o Translated to art: "The interpretation of an art work will always the take form of another work.
o New works as interpretations of prior or contemporary works (semiosis).

Applied mediology

* status/role/function of the material art object in a digital and post-Internet world
* social value of the "dematerialized" media of video and digital multimedia

Self-aware internationalization of the artworld, 1990s-2005

* Where are the art/culture power centers today?
* Superficially "decentered," the artworld reconfigures around New York, Berlin, London.
* Rise of Beijing and Asian nodes: More Asian artists establishing international identity.

Major transitions in the artworld, 1960s-2005

* Moving art off the walls and pedestals and into "lived space" or deconstructed gallery space in 1960s-80s
* Lens-based art coming into dominance: photography, video, all forms of hybrid photo processes and techniques
* Quest for new materials, non-"art" materials
* Power of the major international art fairs, festivals, and biennials