Assessing Socially Engaged Art

Simoniti, V ORCID: 0000-0001-5832-9587 (2018) Assessing Socially Engaged Art Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 76 (1). pp. 71-82. ISSN 0021-8529, 1540-6245

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Abstract

The last twenty-five years have seen a radical shift in the work of politically committed artists. No longer content to merely represent social reality, a new generation of artists has sought to change it, blending art with activism, social regeneration projects, and even violent political action. I assess how this form of contemporary art should lead us to rethink theories of artistic value and argue that these works make a convincing case for an often-dismissed position, namely, the pragmatic view of artistic value. However, the pragmatic view, when properly applied, sets the bar high indeed—art that tries to change society should be considered good art only when it succeeds in making a tangible difference.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	publicationstatus: accepted
Uncontrolled Keywords:	3601 Art History, Theory and Criticism, 36 Creative Arts and Writing
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	14 Sep 2018 09:59
Last Modified:	28 Feb 2026 23:40
DOI:	10.1111/jaac.12414
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3026250
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