Art and Class

9.5 Theses on Art and Class

I've been reading Ben Davis’s new book entitled, 9.5 Theses on Art and Class, named by Hyperallergic as the 11th of the "10 Best Artbooks of 2013".   Davis is executive editor at Artinfo, and this book is an exploration of the art market using Marxist theory.  The major contribution of this book is discussion of class, artists, and the art market, that goes far beyond the auction results and gallery gripes.  You’ll find within these pages a broad array of topics in contemporary art: How does creative labor fit into the economy? Is art merging with fashion and entertainment? What can we expect from political art? Davis argues that returning class to the center of discussion can play a vital role in tackling the challenges that visual art faces today, including the biggest challenge of all—how to maintain faith in art itself in a dysfunctional world.

Panned by the Greg Afinogenov in IDIOM, I nonetheless find the content a riveting read and came away with a better understanding of where artists stand, and I’d like to think that I’m on firmer ground politically and creatively having read most of this book (at time of writing).  I like the review given by Dushko Petrovich writing in BOOKFORUM better. "Davis is an intellectually clearheaded critic dishing out some tough truths, often backed up with statistics, to the rarefied 'art world.' . . . The book reframes the production and sale of art in tough terms, which is why the collection’s centerpiece, 9.5 Theses on Art and Class, should be required reading for art professionals. In this first book, Davis proves himself a critic to be reckoned with." 

As the book presents some new perspectives on old problems, I hope it generates further discussion.