當代藝術是一門難以駕馭的領域，不僅在歷史時期的劃分上存在諸多爭議，現代／後現代／當代等階段不易清楚定義與區分，而且隨著各種實驗性質的創作手法出籠，極力擴大了藝術創作的範疇，藝術的本質定義已瀕臨瓦解。面對這等藝術，我們到底還能說些什麼？雖如此，正因為如此，反而值得藝術社會學一探究竟。一方面，作為社會現象的一環，當代藝術無論如何乖張，卻是不爭的社會事實，仍立基在歷史發展的契機之上。就其美學形式脈絡與社會文化進程而言，皆有跡可尋，值得了解。當代藝術家亦是社會行動者的一種典型，透過藝術的發聲，展現其特殊的當代存在感與行動邏輯。如是，若能掌握古典傳統藝術到現代前衛藝術的過渡歷程，本是理解文化意義轉型機制的絕佳切入點。另一方面，我們皆好奇「當代藝術如何可能？」----充滿疏離與艱澀的創作主題和技法，何以能夠堂而皇之在藝術史上註冊一席之地？社會學對於藝術場域中各種建制、法則、典範與價值觀的研究，將引領我們考察當代藝術如何落實於現世？依靠哪些建制而運作？繼而產生哪些社會革新與社會衝突？以及如何在面臨瓶頸與衝擊時進入轉型？
本課程以循序漸進的方式，首先踏上二十世紀前後的西方藝術之旅，按部就班追溯近現代藝術界逐步產生的各種基進變革(radical change)。雖然沒有任一流派堪稱此基進轉捩的代表，然而整體上從馬內(E. Manet)以來繼之以印象派的發展，這一階段確實大篇幅地讓西方藝術史的語彙遠離傳統的古典風格。課程第一單元遂以基礎打底功夫為要，力求把握二十世紀以降、構成現／當代藝術主調內容的幾大流派之要點。第二單元當中，我們針對現代主義藝術的精神與原則進行檢討，繼而聚焦於「前衛藝術／先鋒藝術」(l’art avant-garde)的概念，探索它與當代藝術的關連，包括繼承、批判、交融、斷絕等各種交互作用。「前衛」、「現代」、「當代」的概念向來難以彼此釐清，呈現重疊糾葛的纏繞形態。本課程因而選擇具社會學意涵的文本，以具體的藝術現象和相應發展而出的制度機構作為討論的對象，著重前衛藝術的創新性、典範顛覆等先行意義，也將處理前衛藝術在時間上的短暫性與被超越性。此單元將閱讀美國社會學家Diana Crane的著作《前衛藝術的轉型》，以1940-1985年間紐約藝術界發展為例，觀察前衛藝術於二十世紀下半葉所面臨的轉變，揭示創造性的藝術活動，其實不失為社會機制運作的結果。第三單元中，我們以哲學家 Arthur Danto的理論為基礎，朝向當代／後現代／後歷史藝術批判，思考當代藝術是否已走上所謂的終結？而在某種、多種意義下已告終結的藝術，又如何能具體在藝術市場上成為走紅的商品形態？這學期的課程除了文本的深入耕讀之外，將格外注重小組成員之間的討論與合作，盼能透過組員間定期而紮實的對話，在共同面對形貌詭譎的當代藝術之際，彼此激盪出思維的花火，同時保有獨立的思考空間，以尋找自我面向當代藝術的姿態。
Contemporary art is a difficult field to achieve. Not only does it have many disputes in the planning segments of historical periods, but it is difficult to clearly define and divide the modern/postmodern/contemporary stages. Moreover, with various experimental creative techniques, it has greatly expanded the scope of artistic creation, and the essential definition of art has collapsed. What else can we say in the face of such art? Even so, it is worthwhile to learn from art and society. On the one hand, as a circle of social phenomena, contemporary art is just an unconflict social fact, and it is still based on the cause of historical development. As for its aesthetic form and social and cultural process, it is worth understanding. Contemporary artists are also a typical example of social activists, showing their special contemporary sense of existence and action logic through the voice of art. In this way, if you can master the transition from classical traditional art to modern predecessor art, it is an excellent entry point to understand the transformation mechanism of cultural meaning. On the other hand, we are all curious about "How is contemporary art possible?" ----How can creative themes and techniques full of scattered and impurified creations be registered in the history of art in a grand manner? The study of various institutions, laws, patterns and values in the art field will lead us to examine how contemporary art has been implemented in the present world? What institutions do we rely on to operate? What social innovation and social conflicts will arise? And how to enter the transformation when facing the bottle and hit?
In a step-by-step manner, this course first embarks on the journey of Western art around the twenty century, and traces the various radical changes gradually developed in the modern art world. Although no school can be regarded as the representative of this basic transformation, overall, it has continued to develop with impressionism since E. Manet, and this stage has indeed made the linguistic language of Western art far away from the traditional classical style. The first part of the course is based on basic skills, striving to grasp the key points of several major schools that have been mainly used in contemporary art since the 20th century. In the second unit, we examine the spirit and principles of modern theories, and then focus on the concept of "l’art avant-garde" (l’art avant-garde), exploring its connection with contemporary art, including inheritance, criticism, fusion, and destruction. The concepts of "forefront", "modern" and "contemporary" have always been difficult to clear each other and present a mixed and scattered shape. This course therefore selects texts with social implications, and uses specific artistic phenomena and corresponding institutional institutions as the object of discussion, focusing on the innovative nature of predecessor art and the overturning of classical meanings, and will also deal with the short and transcendent nature of predecessor art in time. This unit will read the book "The Transformation of Avant-Art" by American socialist Diana Crane. Taking the development of the New York art world between 1940 and 1985 as an example, observe the transformation of avant-Art in the second half of the 20th century and reveal that creative artistic activities are actually the result of social mechanism operation. In the third unit, we base ourselves on the theory of philosopher Arthur Danto, and we are aiming at contemporary/postmodern/posthistorical art criticism, thinking about whether contemporary art has reached the so-called ending? How can art that has been concluded under a certain or multiple meanings become a red commodity form in the art market? In addition to in-depth reading of the text, the course during this period will pay special attention to discussions and cooperation among the group members. We hope to use the regular and practical dialogue between the group to inspire the fire of thinking in the common face of contemporary art, and at the same time, we will maintain an independent thinking space to find our own attitude towards contemporary art.
請參閱各週進度說明
Please refer to the weekly progress instructions
| 評分項目 Grading Method | 配分比例 Grading percentage | 說明 Description |
|---|---|---|
| 每單元分組memo每單元分組memo Memo per unit |
15 | |
| 當代藝術分組上台報告當代藝術分組上台報告 Contemporary Art Sub-groups come to the stage to report |
15 | |
| 期中個人報告期中個人報告 Midterm personal report |
40 | |
| 期末分組報告期末分組報告 Final division report |
30 |
