Customer Reviews

Art for Art's Sake and Literary Life: How Politics and Markets Helped Shape the Ideology and Culture of Aestheticism, 1790-1990 (Stages)

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Elegantly written, thought-provoking, abrasive, and immensely informative, Bell-Villada's essay is nonetheless affected by two important flaws: its relative lack of focus, especially toward the end of the book, and its rigid application of a left v. right girdle. Bell-Villada obviously believes that the left is always good and progressive, with the possible exception of Joseph Stalin, whereas the right and the center are innately deficients, both morally and intellectually, for they either call for a return to the past or for a blind defense of the statu quo. The problem here is theoretical. Arguably, the milieu of artists is ill suited for this kind of Manichean mutilation. Many artists, in modern times, have adopted syncretic political dispositions comprising ingredients such as contempt for the statu quo and rejection of dominant values (especially utilitarianism), this leading them either to fascism or to bolchevism, with a great deal of transactions between the two (it is significant that Bell-Villada does not have much to say about Ezra Pound!). Most fascists were also revolutionary and anti statu-quo: in fact, many were attempting to revitalize socialism. Rather than using only "left v. right", Bell-Villada should have added other variables such as "romantic v. enlightenment" and "liberal v. anti-liberal", and use them all with a great deal of flexibility.

Art for Art's Sake and Literary Life: How Politics and Markets Helped Shape the Ideology and Culture of Aestheticism, 1790-1990 (Stages)

I discovered this writer when I was looking for opinions about the Nobel Prize Garcia Marquez, "Garcia marquez the Man and His Work," and I was fascinated for the accuracy about Colombian history and the way he related it with the author's life and ouvre.
Recently, curious to know what others books he had written; I found this one which catch my attention for its title, ART FOR ART'S SAKE, because it has been an old controversy.
The book includes two hundred years of philosophy, critic, literatura, and poetry in a rich account on the most brilliant exponents. Ranging from enlightment to Latin American literary Boom. Sometimes giving a litle touch on one of the personages, and other times giving a profound account of them because of its deep relation with the study he had in mind.
I greatly recommend this book because is richly informative and relaxing and enjoyable.