Two Visions of the Art World

Scholars and journalists focus on money and power when they talk about contemporary art. Two Visions of the Art World: Competition, Community, and Creative Work provokes an argument with the dominant art world narrative that focuses on extreme competition. From this perspective, artists are trapped in the world of exclusive galleries, snobby museums, and the art market's relentless pressures. This book offers an alternative perspective: dual layer theory. Rojas and de la Torre argue that the contemporary art world is better understood as a community defined by two "layers" ^--^ one focused on competition, and another emphasizing collaboration and community building. The competitive layer of the art world is organized around highly selective art schools, galleries that award scarce artworks to the "right" collectors, and museums that anoint artists as being among the best of their era. The communal layer of the art world is organized around non-profit spaces, anti-hierarchical social practices, and alternative art schools. Based on over 120 interviews with artists, dealers, collectors, teachers, and museum curators, Two Visions of the Art World explains in vivid detail how artists and their allies move between the two layers of the art world and helps readers understand that the world of arts combines community and competition.

Fabio Rojas is the Virginia L. Robert Professor of Sociology at Indiana University, Bloomington. He is a sociologist who focuses on political and economic processes, such as student activism, antiwar protest, and the art market. David de la Torre is an independent scholar based at Indiana University, Bloomington. His research interests include organizations, labour, and personal finance.