Inconsequential Plan for Reorganizing the Value of Art in the Public Sphere

摘要

The core argument of this document is that many art practices and the experiences of the artists performing them are fundamentally incompatible with late capitalism and secondarily, with much of its influence in academia. Art is often subsumed into the current late capitalism paradigm. When this happens, its ability to critique or dissent is blunted or removed. It may also undergo subtle changes in order to approximate compatibility with the market. None of these changes are inherently wrong. They limit and mutate the practice of art to better fit popular expectations, and therefore, they exclude some of the most vibrant and crucial roles art has performed in human society since its inception. The author's research attempts to live outside of these expectations to demonstrate the possibility of alternatives. This document's satire reflects the uncomfortable existence of art in the current paradigm. It is compounded by the necessity of directly stating this satire in order to satisfy the Iowa State Graduate College's thesis requirements, which mandated significant alterations to the text and its form.