Looking at and 'appreciating' art has been understood as…
““Looking at and 'appreciating' art has been understood as an instrument (or at best a result) of upward mobility, in which owning art is the ultimate step. making art is at the bottom of the scale. This is the only legitimate reason to see artists as so many artists see themselves - as 'workers'. At the same time, artists/makers tend to feel misunderstood and, as creators, innately superior to the buyers/owners. The innermost circle of the art-world class system thereby replaces the rulers with the creators, and the contemporary artist in the big city is a schizophrenic creature. S/he is persistently working 'up' to be accepted, not only by other artists, but also by the hierarchy that exhibits, writes about and buys his / her work. At the same time s/he is often ideologically working 'down' in an attempt to identify with the workers outside of the art context and to overthrow the rulers in the name of art.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The art world creates a hierarchy where creators are both aspiring to elite acceptance and trying to align with the working class, leading to internal conflict.
In simple terms: Dual social pressure
Key Takeaway
Artists juggle status and solidarity
Themes
class tension
identity politics
cultural capital
artistic labor
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
essay
analysis
When to use this quote
- gallery curation
- art criticism
- cultural policy
- artist collectives
Key Concepts
social hierarchy
creative identity
Practical Applications
- designing equitable artist compensation models
- facilitating dialogues between artists and audiences
Questions to Reflect On
- How does this duality affect artistic output?
- Can the art world reconcile status with solidarity?
A Different Perspective
The hierarchy may be overstated; many artists thrive outside traditional institutions.