The Dynamics of an Art World in Flux

Since being tagged with the moniker of the “art world” it has stayed true to the attributes of a world. In the fashion of constant evolution and adaptation, the theories that the art world rally behind may alter and waver but the support behind these ideologies do not. The early stance of the art world saw a narrow scope of acceptance whereas today discrimination is nearly defunct. More importantly the role of the artist has changed. From someone who creates an original artifact, to a person who participates with understanding in the making of a work of art, according to Dickie. Because of this I believe that the construction of today’s art world heavily influences how it operates.

“Contemporary visual art can be studied as a form of media and communication: it intersects with, but must differentiate itself from, all forms of visual media.” With the boom of

advertisements turning to the arts, the viewer now has to fine tune their ability and knowledge to be able to differentiate what is art and what is not art. This is asking much more from the audience than in the early days of Greenbergian rhetoric where if you saw something that abstract expressionist in nature, it was art. Today that might be a witty new campaign for a clothing company. The phenomenon that is happening now is that art has to compete for our attention, in our culture where we are bombarded with imagery every waking moment.

“One function of the artworld is to supply the learned differentiating codes for distinguishing art from other forms of media, communication, and visual information--including when these others forms are legitimately appropriated, used, critiqued, and circulated in artworks themselves.” This is where the function and the construct of the art world is so vital. There are legions of professionals and careerists who make up the social and economic sides of the art world but the art world stretches beyond this and into; “art making, art presentation, art validation and valuation, art sales.” The competition for our attention plays a major role in the validation and valuation of art. Due to the hybridization (“an ongoing mix of genres, concepts, materials, media, high and low culture forms.” ) of art the function and utilization of alternative spaces have been explored more thoroughly in the contemporary art world.

Due to the overexposure to imagery on a daily basis, more people are inclined to experiment with making their own imagery. The growing number of people, casually or professionally making art has lead to a rising number of galleries being opened and utilized. CafÐ"© walls along with alternative spaces are home to many local and up and coming artists. In some ways this devalues the sanctity of the wall space from artistic divinity, forcing the art world to react in a variety of ways. “The increasing power