Search results for ""author mary jane jacob""

John Dewey is known as a pragmatic philosopher and progressive architect of American educational reform, but some of his most important contributions came in his thinking about art. Dewey argued that there is strong social value to be found in art, and it is artists who often most challenge our preconceived notions. Dewey for Artists shows us how Dewey advocated for an “art of democracy.” Identifying the audience as co-creator of a work of art by virtue of their experience, he made space for public participation. Moreover, he believed that societies only become—and remain—truly democratic if its citizens embrace democracy itself as a creative act, and in this he advocated for the social participation of artists. Throughout the book, Mary Jane Jacob draws on the experiences of contemporary artists who have modeled Dewey’s principles within their practices. We see how their work springs from deeply held values. We see, too, how carefully considered curatorial practice can address the manifold ways in which aesthetic experience happens and, thus, enable viewers to find greater meaning and purpose. And it is this potential of art for self and social realization, Jacob helps us understand, that further ensures Dewey’s legacy—and the culture we live in.

Read more less

John Dewey is known as a pragmatic philosopher and progressive architect of American educational reform, but some of his most important contributions came in his thinking about art. Dewey argued that there is strong social value to be found in art, and it is artists who often most challenge our preconceived notions. Dewey for Artists shows us how Dewey advocated for an “art of democracy.” Identifying the audience as co-creator of a work of art by virtue of their experience, he made space for public participation. Moreover, he believed that societies only become—and remain—truly democratic if its citizens embrace democracy itself as a creative act, and in this he advocated for the social participation of artists. Throughout the book, Mary Jane Jacob draws on the experiences of contemporary artists who have modeled Dewey’s principles within their practices. We see how their work springs from deeply held values. We see, too, how carefully considered curatorial practice can address the manifold ways in which aesthetic experience happens and, thus, enable viewers to find greater meaning and purpose. And it is this potential of art for self and social realization, Jacob helps us understand, that further ensures Dewey’s legacy—and the culture we live in.

Read more less

What is the role of travel in art? The need for distance, new places, and experiences? What is the relationship between visitor and host? What is remote in the age of globalization? These were only some of the questions explored by eight curators from Europe and the Americas during the train travelling symposium Fernweh across rural Scotland. During their journeys they visited villages, towns, and art venues around the country to investigate the relationship between place, hospitality, collaboration, distance, and the urban-rural, as well as other matters. “At the core of Fernweh is a longing for an undefined, perhaps transcendent freedom, but one that may lead to critical reflection, both on oneself and also on one’s surroundings that will also return to the question of community.” (Simon Ward)

Read more less

Magdalena Abakanowicz (1930–2017) was a Polish artist who revolutionised the use of woven forms in art. In the mid 1960s, she transformed the modest material of sisal into monumental hanging sculptures, known as Abakans, which captivated audiences and brought her international fame. In the 1970s she amassed them into vast organic environments, at times threading through reclaimed ship ropes. Imbued with meaning, they were spaces to contemplate, to immerse oneself in, to experience. This book explores the unique nature of these radical works and brings readers into Abakanowicz’s imaginal world. Delving into the lesser-known context of the art world from which Abakanowicz emerged, and touching on other aspects of a remarkable sixty-year career, it reveals her impact on environmental sculpture, as well as her deeply personal interests in natural phenomena and global cultures. Showcasing the Abakans in a whole new light, it is a celebration of the mastery and determination of this extraordinary artist.

Read more less

Chicago is a city dedicated to the modern - from the skyscrapers that punctuate its skyline to the spirited style that inflects many of its dwellings and institutions, from the New Bauhaus to Hull-House. Despite this, the city has long been overlooked as a locus for modernism in the arts, its rich tradition of architecture, design, and education disregarded. Still the modern in Chicago continues to thrive, as new generations of artists incorporate its legacy into fresh visions for the future. "Chicago Makes Modern" boldly remaps twentieth-century modernism from our new-century perspective by asking an imperative question: How did the modern mind-deeply reflective, yet simultaneously directed - help to dramatically alter our perspectives on the world and make it new? Returning the city to its rightful position at the heart of a multidimensional movement that changed the face of the twentieth century, "Chicago Makes Modern" applies the missions of a brilliant group of innovators to our own time. From the radical social and artistic perspectives implemented by Jane Addams, John Dewey, and Buckminster Fuller to the avant-garde designs of Laszlo Moholy-Nagy and Mies van der Rohe, the prodigious offerings of Chicago's modern minds left an indelible legacy for future generations. Staging the city as a laboratory for some of our most heralded cultural experiments, "Chicago Makes Modern" reimagines the modern as a space of self-realization and social progress - where individual visions triggered profound change. Featuring contributions from an acclaimed roster of contemporary artists, critics, and scholars, this book demonstrates how and why the Windy City continues to drive the modern world.

Read more less

How is art conceived, created, and experienced? How is it taught? How does the act of viewing a work make the viewer part of that work? "Learning Mind: Experience Into Art" addresses these questions as it documents the changing practices in the making, teaching, and exhibition of art. Timely, multifaceted, and instructive, this groundbreaking volume explores the contemporary art experience and its expanding presence in society through lively essays, revealing interviews, and provocative conversations with some of the most influential artists and educators of our time. Featured artists include Magdalena Abakanowicz, Ann Hamilton, Alfredo Jaar, Kerry James Marshall, and Ernesto Pujol, along with designers Walter Hood and Bruce Mau. Contributing authors include curators Marcia Tucker and Christopher Bedford, art critics Michael Brenson and Jerry Saltz, art historian David Getsy, educators Ronald Jones and Lawrence Rinder, philosopher Arthur Danto, psychiatrist Mark Epstein, theorist W.J.T. Mitchell, and chef-educator Alice Waters. In demonstrating the role that art schools and universities play in the creative process, "Learning Mind" offers students, teachers, and readers new and vital theoretical texts as well as practical strategies for integrating art into our daily lives. It is co-published by School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Read more less

An expansive collection catalogue that offers a multiplicity of fresh perspectives on recent modern and contemporary art acquisitions in The Phillips Collection. Planned to coincide with The Phillips Collection's centennial and exhibition, this ground-breaking volume offers an unprecedented breadth of insights and inclusive narratives on the Phillips's growing art collection from a range of voices, including artists, critics, and scholars. Seeing Differently features works across wide-ranging media by renowned artists from the 19th to the 21st centuries, including Benny Andrews, Alexander Calder, Edgar Degas, Simone Leigh, and Renee Stout. An opening essay by Dorothy Kosinski, artist conversations, thematic essays, and 150 plates with 50 object responses by notable contributors, ensure that this will be a lasting art historical resource. AUTHORS: David C. Driskell is an artist, scholar, and professor emeritus at the University of Maryland. Mary Jane Jacob is professor and executive director of exhibitions at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Dorothy Kosinski is Vradenburg Director & CEO of The Phillips Collection. Elsa Smithgall is senior curator at The Phillips Collection. 278 colour illustrations

Read more less