Book Review: Art Worlds, By Howard Becker

Book Review: Howard Becker, Art worlds

The purpose of this book is to discuss how important of humans in the art worlds. Howard Becker describes that arts worlds are constituted by some people instead of individual and these people bring out the rules of the art worlds due to culture or resources.

First, Becker explains that people are the key point in the art worlds. To achieve a performing, visual, or literary art event, professional and non-professional people work together. The process of art completion is done by a group of people who are responsible in different roles.

In addition, each art world has its own conventions. Becker elaborates that the music field has its own musical note, and the visual art field has another different term.

Each person has different feelings for the art because everyone grew in different backgrounds and have own experiences. Thus, John Dewey argues that due to the cycle of history, life and experiences, human beings and human product become arts.

First, the art represents the history. Dewey states many art works are made for usage instead of for appreciation at the beginning. After a period, they become a masterpiece of art. The process of making and appreciating produces art often taking centuries.

To undertake the above history, art represents the human life. From Dewey’s opinion, the art works are made based on the artists living environment and what he or she saw. When modern people walk into the museum, they know how ancient people live in history. Due to the period of life, art would be made

He explains the gift by drawing from psychology and economics.

First, Hyde believes that the spirit of the gift is always moving (p.4). In his gift theory, the gift exchange must have at least three people in a cycle. When a person gets a gift, he or she must share it with other people instead of regarding the gift as his or her own property. In other words, arts have to be shared with others. Furthermore, only when the gift assembles more treasures such as culture and tradition, humans spirit would become more abundant and stability (p.50). The integration of diverse experience gifts would bring more arts possible in our life.

In addition, Hyde points out that the gift is a talent. Artists who have it should cherish it and share it with others, because not everyone has it. Sharing arts with others would bring prosperity to our society. Therefore, the art industry remains creatively due the gift motivation.

Finally, from the Hyde’s The Gift, the market brings two sides for the artists. On the one hand, artists enforce to share art work in the market for living. On the other hand, the market may obstruct artists to creative art works in order to catch the public’s