Overview

In Talking Art, acclaimed ethnographer Gary Alan Fine gives us an eye-opening look at the contemporary university-based master’s-level art program. Through an in-depth analysis of the practice of the critique and other aspects of the curriculum, Fine reveals how MFA programs have shifted the goal of creating art away from beauty and toward theory. Contemporary visual art, Fine argues, is no longer a calling or a passion—it’s a discipline, with an academic culture that requires its practitioners to be verbally skilled in the presentation of their intentions. Talking Art offers a remarkable and disconcerting view into the crucial role that universities play in creating that culture.

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9780226560182

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Reviews

Fine, a seasoned veteran of ethnography, has written a number of seminal and inspiring works over his distinguished career. Talking Art strikes me as the crown jewel of the corpus: a complex, multisited ethnography, rich with in-depth interviews and detailed field observations. Fine has produced a work of scholarly importance, which overturns romantic notions of the sui generis genius working in isolation. This book demonstrates the power of a veteran eye for interactionist approaches to everyday life, coupled with prose that is simultaneously probing and filled with a sense of curiosity. --Black Hawk Hancock, author of American Allegory This brilliant book takes us behind the scenes to explore how today's artists are trained. The art world, as Fine shows, is now an occupational and academic community, and his ethnography illuminates that in fascinating detail. Talking Art should be indispensable reading for anyone who enjoys viewing art or intends to become an artist. --David Halle, author of New York's New Edge The MFA in visual art is one of the least defined degrees in the university and the art critique the least conceptualized form of assessment. Yet the MFA is encircled by an enormous literature--in art history, art education, assessment, administration, and criticism. Talking Art adds a very welcome new voice. This ethnographic study of four MFA students uses Fine's extensive field notes and photographs to explore the nature, content, and purpose of the contemporary MFA in North America. --James Elkins, author of Art Critiques: A Guide

This brilliant book takes us behind the scenes to explore how today's artists are trained. The art world, as Fine shows, is now an occupational and academic community, and his ethnography illuminates that in fascinating detail. Talking Art should be indispensable reading for anyone who enjoys viewing art or intends to become an artist. --David Halle, author of New York's New Edge The MFA in visual art is one of the least defined degrees in the university and the art critique the least conceptualized form of assessment. Yet the MFA is encircled by an enormous literature--in art history, art education, assessment, administration, and criticism. Talking Art adds a very welcome new voice. This ethnographic study of four MFA students uses Fine's extensive field notes and photographs to explore the nature, content, and purpose of the contemporary MFA in North America. --James Elkins, author of Art Critiques: A Guide Fine, a seasoned veteran of ethnography, has written a number of seminal and inspiring works over his distinguished career. Talking Art strikes me as the crown jewel of the corpus: a complex, multisited ethnography, rich with in-depth interviews and detailed field observations. Fine has produced a work of scholarly importance, which overturns romantic notions of the sui generis genius working in isolation. This book demonstrates the power of a veteran eye for interactionist approaches to everyday life, coupled with prose that is simultaneously probing and filled with a sense of curiosity. --Black Hawk Hancock, author of American Allegory

Author Information

Gary Alan Fineis the James E. Johnson Professor of Sociology at Northwestern University.

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