Research & Approach

Using the recent Botero: Abu Ghraib exhibition at the American University Museum Katzen Arts Center as my case study, I am exploring the extent to which the artist mediates a historical narrative in contemporary society; Does and if so, how does viewing this collection affect one’s understanding of the Abu Ghraib incident, U.S. foreign policy, torture, or human rights issues?

Resisting the temptation to hold the artist, as the author, in a privileged position, I move away from the romantic notions of the artist as the sole creative genius and embrace the idea that cultural production is a public process where meaning and value is co-produced based on a set of social relationships.

His [Bourdieu’s] concept of the “field of cultural production” emphasizes the intersection of aesthetics, history, practice, and power, underscoring both the material production of these forms by the artists and the symbolic production of the meaning and value of the work by critics, publishers, gallery directors, and the whole set of agents whose combined efforts produce consumers capable of knowing and recognizing the work of art as such. (Mahon, p. 478)

With this in mind, I have identified several roles (the artist, the critic, the curator, and the public) that when examined within specific historical and sociological locations (local and global context, the relations to power, and the institutional and discursive framework within which cultural producers operate) will enable me to provide a richer account of the effect of this work of art.

Cultural production should be viewed as both cultural product and social process that contribute to the shape and character of social relations. (Mahon, p. 469)

My objective is to contribute to the ongoing conversation regarding artistic and cultural production and address larger questions about the artist’s ability to intervene as a cultural mediator. What is the artist's value in different sectors of society? Should universities set aside additional funds for artistic explorations and research? Should businesses employ the arts to increase their social standing or improve their image within a community? Should national governments amplify their cultural diplomacy initiatives to enhance their relationships with other nations and peoples? In the end, I hope to produce a stimulating account of the multi-voiced process of cultural production.


The Visible Evidence of Cultural Producers
M Mahon
Annual Review of Anthropology; 2000; 29