The Artworld By Arthur Danto And George Dickie

What is it that separates a creator from an artist? Or what separates a work of art from a mere object? One may think that any creator is an artist and anything created could be art, but there is more to an artist and the art in which he or she makes. Arthur Danto and George Dickie explore how and what makes an object art in Danto’s “The Artworld” and Dickie’s “What is Art? An Institutional Analysis”. With the knowledge of what is required for art to indeed be deemed art, it becomes reasonable to conclude that one cannot be an artist without knowing it. According to the dictionary, art is defined as “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic object” (Merriam-Webster). In the Institutional Theory, art is defined by two requirements. One, a piece must be “an artifact” (Dickie 431). An artifact, shows that and object was crafted by a human. The
Warhol a member of the artworld, took an everyday product design and made it into art. It was not the creator of the design whom was the artist, it was Warhol. Warhol contextualized the Brillo design. Warhol consciously decided to turn something into art and considering his position, it was accepted by the artworld as art. Danto expands on this happenstance and the role of the IT in “The Artworld” by saying “It is the theory that takes it up into the world of art, and keeps it from collapsing into the real object that it is…” (Danto 581). Ultimately, Danto and Dickie show that for someone to be an artist they must first consciously decide to create art. Moreover, the art they create must follow the rules that Dickie provides. Although anyone has the ability to create, there is more to art than creation. After reading “The Artworld” and “What is Art? An Institutional Analysis”, the conclusion can be drawn that it is not possible for a conscious person to create art without them knowing it.
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