Icelandic Literary Prize
2 appearances
-
Edition 17 (2005) Winner
Arthur Coleman Danto
アーサー・コールマン・ダント
Arthur Coleman Danto
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1924-01-01 （Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.）
- Died
- 2013-10-25 （New York City, U.S.） age 89
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Reform Judaism
- Residence History
- Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. → Detroit, Michigan, U.S. → New York City, U.S.
Career
- Occupations
- art critic, philosopher, university professor
- Active Years
- 1947-2013
- Affiliations
- Columbia University, The Nation (contributor / art critic), American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Memberships
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences (elected 1980), Signer of Humanist Manifesto II
- Influenced By
- Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, Jean Wahl
- Influenced
- Lydia Goehr, George Dickie, Sean Scully (artist)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne University (now Wayne State University) | Faculty of Art and History | Department of Art and History | BA | 1945–1948 | United States |
| Columbia University | Faculty of Philosophy | Department of Philosophy | — | 1948–1951 | United States |
| Study in Paris under Jean Wahl (Fulbright Scholarship) | — | — | — | 1949–1950 | France |
Wayne University (now Wayne State University)
Faculty of Art and History
/ Department of Art and History
Degree:
BA
Period:
1945–1948
Year of Graduation:
1948
Country:
United States
Studied art and history as an undergraduate; initially intended to become an artist and produced prints.
Columbia University
Faculty of Philosophy
/ Department of Philosophy
Period:
1948–1951
Year of Graduation:
1951
Country:
United States
Pursued graduate studies in philosophy; studied in Paris on a Fulbright scholarship (1949–1950) and began teaching at Columbia in 1951.
Study in Paris under Jean Wahl (Fulbright Scholarship)
Period:
1949–1950
Year of Graduation:
1950
Country:
France
Studied under Jean Wahl on a Fulbright scholarship.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | National Book Critics Circle Award (Criticism) | Encounters and Reflections: Art in the Historical Present | — | National Book Critics Circle | 受賞 |
| 1996 | Frank Jewett Mather Award (art criticism) | — | — | College Art Association | 受賞 |
| — | Guggenheim Fellowship | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | フェローシップ |
| — | Guggenheim Fellowship (second award) | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | フェローシップ |
National Book Critics Circle Award (Criticism)
1990
Work:
Encounters and Reflections: Art in the Historical Present
Organization:
National Book Critics Circle
Result:
受賞
Frank Jewett Mather Award (art criticism)
1996
Organization:
College Art Association
Result:
受賞
Guggenheim Fellowship
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
フェローシップ
Guggenheim Fellowship (second award)
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
フェローシップ
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Transfiguration of the Commonplace
1981 Aesthetics / Philosophy of ArtDiscusses how ordinary objects come to be regarded as artworks; argues that a work of art is 'a meaning given embodiment' and examines issues of interpretation and definition of art.
definition of artrepresentation and meaninginterpretation
The Philosophical Disenfranchisement of Art
1986 Philosophy / AestheticsA critical examination of how philosophy has historically regarded art; reevaluates the relationship between philosophy and art criticism.
philosophy-art relationhistory of aesthetics
Encounters and Reflections: Art in the Historical Present
1990 Art criticism / Essay collectionA collection of essays on contemporary art combining critical insight and historical context; won the National Book Critics Circle Award.
contemporary artcriticism and historical context
Beyond the Brillo Box: The Visual Arts in Post-Historical Perspective
1992 Art criticism / AestheticsEssays arguing from a post-historical perspective on visual arts; contributes to debates around Danto's 'end of art' thesis.
post-historycontemporary art theory
After the End of Art
1997 Aesthetics / Art historyDevelops a Hegelian account of the historical development of art and articulates the 'end of art' thesis for the contemporary period.
history of artend-of-art thesis
The Abuse of Beauty
2003 AestheticsEssays on the value of beauty and its misuse; defends considerations of beauty while critically examining how it is treated.
value of beautyaesthetic criticism
Andy Warhol
2009 Art criticism / MonographA study of Andy Warhol's oeuvre and its aesthetic significance; combines critical interpretation and artist study.
artist studypop art
What Art Is
2013 Aesthetics / Philosophy of ArtA concise statement of Danto's account of art: definition of art, meaning as embodiment, and the importance of art-historical context.
definition of artmeaning as embodiment
Bibliography
- Nietzsche as Philosopher (1965)
- Analytical Philosophy of History (1965)
- What Philosophy Is (1968)
- Analytical Philosophy of Knowledge (1968)
- Mysticism and Morality: Oriental Thought and Moral Philosophy (1969)
- Analytical Philosophy of Action (1973)
- Jean-Paul Sartre (1975; 2nd ed. 1991)
- The Transfiguration of the Commonplace (1981)
- The Philosophical Disenfranchisement of Art (1986)
- Encounters and Reflections: Art in the Historical Present (1990)
- Beyond the Brillo Box: The Visual Arts in Post-Historical Perspective (1992)
- After the End of Art (1997)
- The Abuse of Beauty (2003)
- Andy Warhol (2009)
- What Art Is (2013)
- Remarks on Art and Philosophy (2014)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- analytic, clear prosewitty and occasionally ironic tonecombines philosophical rigor with art criticism
- Recurring Motifs
- meaning as embodimentthe concept of the 'artworld'the 'end of art' thesisrepresentation and interpretation
Legacy
Danto had a major impact on late 20th and early 21st century aesthetics and art criticism. His concept of the 'artworld' and the 'end of art' thesis became central reference points in art history and philosophy. He was a long-serving professor at Columbia University and a widely read art critic for The Nation.
Academic Societies
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Archives
- Columbia University Archives (holds related papers)
In Popular Culture
- Long-running art criticism for The Nation reached a broad readership and influenced public debates on contemporary art.
- Terms like 'artworld' and 'end of art' entered discussions in the art world and educational materials.
Quotes
-
A work of art is a meaning given embodiment.
Source: The Transfiguration of the Commonplace (1981) -
The 'artworld' is an atmosphere of art theory.
Source: Essay 'The Artworld' (Journal of Philosophy) (1964) -
There is no special way works of art have to be — that is the present, the end of the story.
Source: After the End of Art (1997)
Trivia
- Studied in Paris (1949–1950) on a Fulbright scholarship under Jean Wahl.
- Long-time art critic for The Nation (1984–2009).
- Won the National Book Critics Circle Award (Criticism) in 1990 for Encounters and Reflections.
- Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1980.