Ordu University Journal of Social Science Research, 9(1), 37-47, March 2019, 2019
The American critic, art theorist and philosopher, Arthur Danto, was known in the eighties for hi... more The American critic, art theorist and philosopher, Arthur Danto, was known in the eighties for his essay, The End of Art.
His thesis on the end of art is not about art itself, nor a certain style of art coming to an end. In it he argues that a narrative,
one which could give meaning to art, is impossible. Accordingly, art realizes its dream for freedom and autonomy. Art
becomes a multiplicity of styles in a pluralist culture. Danto developed his theory based on the changes he observed in
American art during the 1960s. The end of art concerns changes in Western art in the twentieth century, and describes
a new era. In particular, Danto focused on the work of the American artist, Andy Warhol. Warhol’s art inspired his notion
of the end of art, and was thought to typify the attitude of the new art. Theories developed by Danto, who occupied an
important place in the debate on Western art during the last century, are significant in that they are a source of important
ideas when comparing aesthetics and ontology. This study examines Danto’s theory on the end of art, his answers to
the question of what constitutes art, and his somewhat exclusive attitude regarding aesthetics. This study also critiques
Danto’s attitude regarding aesthetics, and focuses on his ideas about Warhol in the context of the answer to the question
of what constitutes art
His thesis on the end of art is not about art itself, nor a certain style of art coming to an end. In it he argues that a narrative,
one which could give meaning to art, is impossible. Accordingly, art realizes its dream for freedom and autonomy. Art
becomes a multiplicity of styles in a pluralist culture. Danto developed his theory based on the changes he observed in
American art during the 1960s. The end of art concerns changes in Western art in the twentieth century, and describes
a new era. In particular, Danto focused on the work of the American artist, Andy Warhol. Warhol’s art inspired his notion
of the end of art, and was thought to typify the attitude of the new art. Theories developed by Danto, who occupied an
important place in the debate on Western art during the last century, are significant in that they are a source of important
ideas when comparing aesthetics and ontology. This study examines Danto’s theory on the end of art, his answers to
the question of what constitutes art, and his somewhat exclusive attitude regarding aesthetics. This study also critiques
Danto’s attitude regarding aesthetics, and focuses on his ideas about Warhol in the context of the answer to the question
of what constitutes art