Aesthetics for Birds

Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art for Everyone

Tag Archives: art and law

October 17, 2017
by utahphilosoraptor
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The Intrigue of Anonymity

  Banksy arrested!  Unmasked!  Exposed! [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEGxUYxJYz0?rel=0&w=560&h=315] Breaking fake news, as it turns out, created by a guy who has developed an Andy-Kaufmanesque approach to creating hoaxes, delighting in particular when his hoaxes get picked up by mainstream news sites.  The hoax article by Jimmy Rustling (how did the Internet not catch this? Come on, Internet.) mixes fiction with fact, and probably would make an excellent example for those interested in knowledge, the propagation of fake news, echo chambers and the like, (cough, cough), but I wondered: Why does Banksy bother with anonymity?  Banksy’s identity isn’t public, but the rough consensus is that Banksy is probably male, probably British, probably white, probably from Bristol, and probably in his forties.  Banksy has claimed that they’re anonymous because their work is illegal, but this seems not to capture the entirety of it.  Someone that worried about arrest wouldn’t publicize their work on … Continue reading →

November 17, 2016
by Aesthetics for Birds
40 Comments

AFB X JAAC Discussions: Chackal on Street Art

Welcome to the second AFB x JAAC Discussion! Today, we will be discussing a paper by Tony Chackal (University of Georgia) called “Of Materiality and Meaning: The Illegality Condition in Street Art” from the Fall 2016 volume, 74 (4) of the Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism (JAAC). It’s available online here and in the print version, which members should have received recently. And big thanks to Christiane Merritt (Washington University in St. Louis) for providing the critical précis. Chackal’s response follows that, and they will both be available to discuss your questions and thoughts in the comments thread! Check it all out below the fold.

November 11, 2016
by Aesthetics for Birds
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*Reminder* AFB X JAAC Discussions #2: Chackal on Street Art

Just a reminder that the second AFB x JAAC Discussion this year will appear in one week, on Thursday, November 17! We will be discussing a paper by Tony Chackal (University of Georgia) called “Of Materiality and Meaning: The Illegality Condition in Street Art” from JAAC’s Fall 2016 volume, 74 (4). It’s available online here and in the print version, which members should have received recently. Abstract below the fold. Christiane Merritt (Washington University in St. Louis) will be providing the critical précis, and Chackal will provide a response. And they will both be available for discussion in the comments afterward. Mark it in your calendars, and we hope to see you then!

June 27, 2015
by Aesthetics for Birds
6 Comments

AFB Artworld Roundtable: 5pointz Lawsuit

This is the first in a new series at Aesthetics for Birds called AFB Artworld Roundtable, where Philosophers of Art provide their take on a particular recent artworld event or news story. Artists Sue 5Pointz Owner & Developers Nine artists have filed a federal lawsuit against the owner and related developers of the famous graffiti shrine 5Pointz in Queens. The suit claims the Defendents: “destroyed mutilated, modified and defaced each and every one of the works of art installed by Plaintiffs on 5Pointz… [without] notice in writing regarding their intent to destroy the artwork nor did they afford Plaintiffs…a period of 90 days after receiving such notice either to remove the work or pay for its removal.” The full story can be found here. The Roundtable K.E. Gover, Mary Beth Willard, Darren Hick, Erin Thompson

February 23, 2014
by Aesthetics for Birds
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Cariou V. Prince and Interpretive Intentionalism

What follows is a guest post by Karen Glover Rightly or not, academic philosophy has a reputation for pursuing irresolvable debates about highly speculative questions, often with no material stakes or outcome. For some, this is proof of philosophy’s futility; for others, it points to the value of dialectic not in its utility, but as a worthwhile end in itself.