cover image ACTS OF ENGAGEMENT: Writings on Art, Criticism, and Institutions, 1993–2002

ACTS OF ENGAGEMENT: Writings on Art, Criticism, and Institutions, 1993–2002

Michael Brenson, . . Rowman & Littlefield, $75 (320pp) ISBN 978-0-7425-2981-6

What is the function of art in our culture? What roles do museums play in the aesthetic education of our society? What is the task of the artist in a culture that increasingly shuns the power of art to form ideas? Former New York Times art critic Brenson examines these and other timely questions in this stimulating volume of essays. Collected over a 10-year period, these writings explore broad issues ranging from power and language to audience and identity. Brenson devotes loving attention to the socially transformative works of artists and sculptors as diverse as Maya Lin, Alberto Giacometti and Magdalena Abakanowicz, and challenges art critics to play responsible roles in the aesthetic education of society: "Critics... have a special and unique opportunity to respond to the immediacy of art and communicate the power that objects and images have." As with many collections of essays, Brenson's is sometimes repetitive and uneven, but on balance his lively writings provide a powerful and inspiring reminder of the central role that art can play in defining and changing society. (Nov.)