"ON THE END OF ART HISTORY, THEORY, AND CRITICISM"

Art history thesis project, January 2009

When I started my research on the “End of Art, History, Theory, and Criticism” project two years ago I thought that the proposition that art had ended was merely a joke and that this paper would be finished shortly after it begun. This project was intended to be concluded in a matter of months, instead it turned into a matter of years. Each turn I took revealed a mass knots that needed unraveling to continue on—located both in the theory itself and in published misinterpretations of theories at hand. Throughout my inquiry on this issue, I have found it necessary to seek out mentors from diverse ranges of backgrounds and specialties. This process has led me to humbly come to terms that the only conclusion I have at this point in time is that I am not mature enough in my own scholarship to provide any conclusions on this subject. I have realized that the core problem in this essay is not at all an issue confined within the study of art, but rather one of society, philosophy, and culture. The breadth of the concept of an “ending” has brought many times to numerous paths that will take me many more years to explore.

I have decided to post this essay nonetheless, with the aim to return to it at a later time when I am more philosophically prepared to reignite the questions and problems that my proposed topic brings to the forefront. Meanwhile, I hope that my progress thus far will be useful and captivating to potential readers.

In conclusion to this preface, please keep in mind that this essay in its current state is an experiment, a work-in-progress, a study. And as always, all comments, questions, and concerns are welcome. –AI 2009