It’s common knowledge that today, there is no unifying theme or essence to contemporary art. Having finally broken all of its own rules, the story goes that art is now free to be anything it wants to be. But while this idea is generally accepted, is it really true? Episode 5 argues that there is a common element to contemporary art today—a certain mode of production or attitude which it borrows from the worldview of marketing and branding.

WORKS CITED

-Danto, Arthur C. After the End of Art. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1998.

-Hyde, Lewis. The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World. 25th Anniversary edition. New York: Vintage, 2007.

MUSIC

-Theme music and musical consultation: Georgina Rossi, www.georginarossi.com

-Interlude: Igor Stravinsky, Tango