Marxism and Art

Contextual and Theoretical Studies
Marxism and Art
Friday 25th November

‘Philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various way; the point, however, is to change it.’ – Marx, K (1845) Thesis on Feurbach

Marxism is – a political manifesto, leading to socialism, communism and the twentieth century conflicts between capital and labour.
- a philosophical approach o the social sciences, which focuses on the role of society in determining human behaviour, based on the concept of dialectical materialism.
Philosopher also wrote the communist manifesto

Capitalism – control of the means of production in private hands
- a market where labour power is bought and sold
- production of commodities for sale
- use of money as a means of exchange
- competition / meritocracy

Marx’s concept of Base / Superstructure
BASE
forces of production – materials, tools, workers, skills, etc
relations of production – employer/employee, class, master/slave, etc

SUPERSTRUCTURE
social institutions – legal, political, cultural
forms of consciousness - ideology

‘The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles’ Marx, communist manifesto

base – determines content and form of – superstructure – reflects form of and legitimizes – base – CIRCULAR THEORY

See handout for three substantial quotes – Marx, (1857) ‘Contribution to the critique of Political Economy’

The State
Instruments of the State and Ideological and Physical Coercion
The Bourgeoisie
The Proletariat

Ideology
- system of ideas or beliefs
- masking, distortion, or selection of ideas, to reinforce power relations, through creation of ‘false consciousness’

What is Culture?
- ‘one of the two or three most complicated words in the English language’
- aesthetic judgement is a social faculty
- The Kantian ‘pure aesthetic’ is a stylised and mystifying account of the particular experience of the bourgeoisie
- aesthetic senses and associated lifestyles in difference to one another
- ‘taste is first and foremost the distaste of the taste of others’

Art Production – Marx on Art
see handout for more quotes but essentially only a certain class people were making art or even enjoyed it

‘Artwork as social interstice.
The possibility of a relational art (and art taking its theoretical horizon the whole of human relations and their social context, rather than an independent and private space…’

‘…anything that cannot be marketed will inevitably vanish. Before long, it will not be possible to maintain relationships between people outside of these trading areas. So here we are summonsed to talk about things around a duly priced drink, as a symbolic form of contemporary human relations. You are looking for shared warmth and the comforting feeling of well being for two? So try our coffee…’ – Bourreriard

Conclusion
Marxist philosophy sees culture as emerging from, and reflecting, economic factors and related class antagonisms – materialism
‘Art’ could be thought of as a form of ideology. That produces ‘false consciousness’ and maintains the status quo
Political Art Practices seek to challenge the ideological and institutional discourses surrounding and legitimising ‘art’