Reflection — Art Worlds by Howard S. Becker
What is Art? Which could be seen as artworks while which could not? And who is the judge? Howard Becker answered those questions in Art Worlds from various perspectives. I chose Becker’s Art Worlds because I have built a deep bond with the art industry over the past ten years. I want to know more about the artworks, but I am also afraid this book is a cliche about museums and curating.
After reading Art Worlds, I realized it is more like a sociological explanation of the arts-produced process than an artistic analysis. It reminds me of the start of my art journey. My enlightenment of art is a neoclassical oil painting, Le Source, by Ingres. This painting is nothing special than other masterpieces of the era. But the first time I saw this young, soft, and pure nude with vivid water flowing down from her finger, I was obsessed and thirsty for the stories behind it. I started to dig into the stories and history of the painting, the painter, the country, and the age, even though I was just six and couldn’t pronounce the painter’s name correctly. That was the start of my step into the art world, and from that, I knew an artwork is not just an artwork; it is related to culture and history.
After working in several art galleries and museums, I noticed many people working behind one exhibition, from curating to installation, sweeping to auction. I knew that artwork is not just an artwork but related to industries and social status.
Okay, now I can summarize what I learned from previous experience into one concept from Beacker: art as a product of collective action. The traditional analysis of art usually focuses on artists and artworks, while Becker redefined the art field more logically and systematically.
I like how he classified artists into four types: Integrated Professionals, Mavericks, Folks Artists, and Naive Artists. Instead of classifying them by style or price, the key point is their relationship and boundaries to the art world. And the type of artists are flexible and flow within different surroundings and intentions. One example he mentioned is Grandma Moses. Initially, she could be seen as a Naive Artist because she has no connection to the art world. However, she could be seen as a Professional after cooperating with art organizations and agencies.
Becker redefined the “art world” regarding the network of relationships through which art is created, supported, and disseminated. He challenged the traditional art world’s notion of solitary genius, instead emphasizing the art world’s collaborative effort and social structure (although I remain convinced that genius and romance are integral and unique characteristics of art). Becker did not aim to answer the standards of good art but to inspire people’s thinking about the arts by providing new perspectives.
After reading “Art Worlds,” I have a new understanding and reflection on design and innovation. Ideas and thoughts are essential, but their success and longevity depend on the organization’s structure, not intrinsic value. Our design starts with an idea, but the final product is inseparable from feedback from developers and users. In Becker’s art world, art is no longer a field separate from daily life, a figment of romance and imagination, but a logical and process-based production program.
The art world may seem boring, but isn’t it also art to accept the value of dull facts?
