For centuries, popular works have been denied the status of genuine “works of art”, as they were considered superficial, one-dimensional, gimmicky, and standardised. Schiller, Nietzsche, Adorno, Greenberg and many other critics in Western Europe and the U.S. have all been united by their strong reservations about everything that is appreciated and bought by the many. However, since the early 18th century and especially since the 1950s, there have also been several arguments against the view that anything that meets with widespread approval is not art. The aim of this book is to analyse the wide range of different positions, statements and arguments that have argued for popular works of literature, music, film, photography, visual art, and design to be regarded as genuine works of art.

Link to the publisher’s website: View

Hecken, Thomas (2024): Das Populäre als Kunst? Fragen der Form, Werturteile, Begriffe und Begründungen. Berlin.