Chapter 11 of my research book about the morality and politics of our time as seen through the subjects of representational art is now available.
According to philosopher William Barrett, “Art is the collective dream of a period.” How can an artist or a group of artists do more than reflect their times?
Myth and Meaning
I had intended at this point to show an image satirical of the power of the state, a moral and political issue if ever there was one, by the artist known as Banksy, but in a delicious twist of irony I learned that “the use of this image involves quite a few potential legal issues.” I have grave concerns about the so-called permissions culture, and the idea that an image of a picture painted on the side of someone else’s property, which is technically vandalism, cannot be legally or ethically presented in an academic setting, which strikes me as both ridiculous and unseemly.