The Boundaries of Art

In this provocative book, David Novitz reconsiders the complex relations between art and life. He rejects the view that artwork should be judged in isolation from its historical and cultural contexts, pointing to the many ways in which the cultural milieu affects choices made by the artist. He challenges the commonplace notion of art as something removed from daily life by invisible, yet rigid boundaries. Rather, Novitz argues, much art is unrecognized as such because it addresses issues and preoccupations of everyday life and is therefore viewed as "low brow" or merely popular. In fact, the author contends, not only does art invariably reflect our lives, but it often consciously attempts to influence our lives.
Popular genres like cinema, advertising, pop music, erotica, conversation, gardening, cooking, and carpentry are all seen as arts, and Novitz traces the differentiation of these from the so-called fine arts to the Renaissance, when moneyed classes patronized artists as a form of social self-promotion. This separation was reinforced in the nineteenth century, with the emergence of the aesthetic movement and its distinction between "high" art and the "popular" arts.
By providing a sustained and lively challenge to the traditional boundaries of art, Novitz demonstrates the detail and explains the extent of the integration of art into everyday life. He does not, however, endorse the postmodernist claim that there are no boundaries between art and life. Instead, he argues that our conception of the relations between art, life, and philosophy need to be rethought in a way that reflects more adequately the role that both art and philosophy play in our lives.
At its most powerful, Novitz argues, art is a form of seduction that can destabilize our commitments and entire world views, and does so in ways that are unavailable to rational persuasion. While carefully considering but rejecting Oscar Wilde's claim that "Life is in fact the mirror, and Art the reality," Novitz makes the case that art, properly conceived, reaches deeply into our lives and is profoundly influential.