Sociology of art

Sociology of art is a special sociology that explores the art in its social linkages theoretically and empirically. They first deals with the social content of art ( form and content ), the social function of the arts (eg, painting, literature, music, theater, film) and the social position of artists, then the reception by the audience and the socio-economic conditions of production and distribution ( through galleries, publishing houses, cinemas etc. ) of Art. The sociology of art overlaps with other special sociologies such as the sociology of knowledge and sociology of culture and diverse cultural sciences such as art history, philosophical aesthetics and literary history.

Historical Sociology of Art

Looking back, is referred to as an art, which, for example, in the societies of hunter-gatherers in magical rites for the purpose of summoning the hunting success (cave painting towards the end of the last Ice Age: Lascaux, Altamira ) was involved or in the Middle Ages as a religious service ( altar screen and icon painting ) has been understood. With the flourishing of the aristocracy in the early modern period a need for representation of the kings and princes of the court artists emerged - poets (eg, Torquato Tasso, Goethe ), musicians (such as George Frideric Handel, Joseph Haydn ) and visual artists ( was satisfied - for example, Diego Velasquez, Cranach). These artists were in all his brilliance nevertheless order artist and shared with their rulers largely whose taste canon. Analogous to the royal courts also ordered large cities, especially in northern Italy, city artists (Titian in Venice, Michelangelo in Florence, Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig). It depended on the " enlightenment " of his Lord and his own reputation, to what extent the court artist was able to enforce its own way of life (eg, outside of the court ) and his personal artistic vision.

The long process of substituting court aristocracy by the bourgeois culture culminated politically in the French Revolution. " The remuneration of artistic work shifted from the courts, the nobility and the old patricians to the new classes of the propertied and educated bourgeoisie. " That stepping out of the feudal and patrician dependencies succeeded the ( visual ) artists first in the Netherlands in the 17th century, the " Golden age " ( Michael North ). Because he was denied a fair job as a court musician, Mozart was a first important composer " by the sale of his prowess as a musician and his works on the open market," the late 18th century to establish itself as a " free artist ". Latest in the romance joined the modern artists on the scene, the autonomy and subjectivity as the basis of his creative work made ​​(Wolfgang Ruppert ) and was associated with his audience now has the arising in the bourgeois era anonymous art and literary market.

Since then, the artists have their autonomy against the increasing commercialization of the art (see culture industry ) and have to defend against their enslavement for the image building of business enterprises ( sponsorship). The France of the late 19th century outgoing " l' art pour l' art" movement (Charles Baudelaire, Stéphane Mallarmé, Paul Verlaine, Paul Valéry ) and acclaimed in the circle of the poet Stefan George's principle of " art for art " form the Extrempol of an autonomous status of art. As its counterpart, the Pop Art are considered, their representatives aware devoted to the phenomena of everyday culture and were popularized by the mass media. Quite a few artists ( most notably Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons ) adjusted their production to the recycling needs of the market, which in turn is interpreted by some art critics as a kind of subversive affirmation of capitalist consumer society.

Groups of artists

The formation of groups of artists (eg Nazarene, Barbizon School, Worpswede, The Bridge, George circle, group 47 ) is a modern phenomenon, a concomitant and consequence of the extreme subject -centeredness of the modern artist. Only after the "professional childbirth ( ... ) of the craftsmanship compliance with standards for artistic self-determination" is the artist for solitaire. Niklas Luhmann sees the ( exclusive ) formation of groups of like-minded people as a compensation for the lost outdoor living by tradition, patron, market and even art academies.

Organizations of the art system

In differentiated art system uses a variety of organizations consisted notwenige functions for the socialization of artists and the production, distribution and reception of works of art. To qualify and professionalise art academies, literary institutions, theaters, seminars, music and film schools, the budding artist ( socialization ). Painting workshops ( Middle Ages and early modern times), theater, opera, orchestral and film studios are in the service of the production of art. Galleries and publishers, libraries and bookstores are organizations of the distribution. The reception of works of art, if it is not individually, to literary salons, art clubs, cultural societies and literary institutions devote.