What art is: the esthetic theory of Ayn Rand

Abstract

In response to the question What is art?, today's arts establishment has a simple answer: anything is if a reputed artist or expert says it is. Many people are sceptical about the alleged new forms that have proliferated during the 20th century - from abstract art and performance art to Hyperfiction and chance music. Yet today's experts claim that all such work, however incomprehensible, is art. An alternative to this view is provided by philosopher-novelist Ayn Rand (1905-1982). Although best known as the author of Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, Rand created an original and illuminating philosophy of art, which not only offers a profound analysis of the cognitive and emotional function of but also confirms the widespread view that much of today's purported is really not at all. In What Art Is, Torres and Kamhi present the first in-depth examination and critique of Rand's aesthetic theory. Contrasting her ideas with those of other thinkers, they conclude that, despite shortcomings in detail, Rand's account is compelling. Moreover, they demonstrate that it is supported by evidence from anthropology, neurology, cognitive science and psychology. The authors apply Rand's theory to a debunking of prominent modernist and postmodernist artists. Finally, they explore its implications for such fields as arts education, law and public policy. Fifteen years after Ayn Rand's death, interest in her life and ideas is booming. All her published works remain in print, and hitherto unpublished writings continue to appear. In 1998 the Showtime cable TV channel will air a movie adaptation of Barbara Branden's biography Passion of Ayn Rand, starring Helen Mirren as Rand.

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