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The Theory of Enchantment and the Enchantment of Theory: the Art of Alfred Gell.
- Source :
- Oceania; Jul2010, Vol. 80 Issue 2, p129-142, 14p
- Publication Year :
- 2010
-
Abstract
- Gell's Art and Agency that aimed to articulate the first anthropological theory of art has achieved a near-cult status among the academic community. Departing from previous semiological and aesthetic approaches, this theory takes it that art is a form of instrumental action, the canonical efficacy of which lies in its power to function as a cognitive trap and to captivate the spectator's mind. In this article it is argued that Gell's theory is not as novel as it is claimed; that it fails to define the specific field of art; and that by excluding the aesthetic properties of art objects, it discards ethnographical data nonetheless necessary for understanding the agency of art in Melanesian local cultures. At a meta-level, Gell assigned to his theory the same captivating purpose as he did to art, and this probably explains the seductive fascination that his work continues to exert. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- THEORY
AESTHETICS
ART theory
AUTHORS
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00298077
- Volume :
- 80
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Oceania
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 52249223
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1834-4461.2010.tb00076.x