ART AND SOCIAL FUNCTION

Willats, Stephen

ISBN 10: 1841660531 / ISBN 13: 9781841660530

Published by Ellipsis London Pr Ltd, 2000

The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR002867522

Synopsis:

A key work of 1970s conceptual art, currently undergoing a major revival of interest. This is a new edition of a classic conceptual-art text first published in 1976. Long out of print and much sought-after, Art and Social Function starts from the position that 'art practice operates within an environment of institutions and groups of people which effectively maintain it as an identifiable activity within society'. Instead of preaching to the converted - those already within 'art's social environment' who are concerned about such questions as what constitutes an artwork - Willats argues that the artist should embrace the concept of pluralism and with it the relativism of the audience's perception and the context-dependency of the artwork. As well as providing a theoretical framework, Art and Social Function documents two large-scale projects - one in west London and the other in Edinburgh - and introduced Meta Filter, an interactive machine designed to develop the relationships between individuals, and between individuals and groups through the examination of differing perceptions of social coding structures. 77 b/w photographs and diagrams.

About the Author: Stephen Willats lives in London. He has edited the legendary Control Magazine since its inception in the 1960s. His work has been exhibited widely in many major art institutions around the world. Meta Filter, described in this book, is featured in Live in Your Head, a major retrospective covering conceptual art of the 1970s which opened at the Whitechapel Gallery, London, in February 2000.

Bibliographic Details

Title: ART AND SOCIAL FUNCTION
Publisher: Ellipsis London Pr Ltd
Publication Date: 2000
Binding: Paperback
Condition: Very Good