The Anthropology of Art: A Reader

This anthology provides a single-volume overview of the essential theoretical debates in the anthropology of art. Drawing together significant work in the field from the second half of the twentieth century, it enables readers to appreciate the art of various cultures at different times.

An essay from the editors, offering an intellectual critique of the history of the discipline and exploring the contribution that the analysis of art can make to human societies, prefaces the volume; each part also begins with a useful editorial introduction to the readings. The readings themselves cover all the major debates in the field, including: definitions of art and aesthetics; the nature of representational processes; the nature of authenticity; the Primitivism controversy; the history of trade and commodification; and the role of contemporary artists.

This anthology is the ideal resource for readers new to the anthropology of art. At the same time, it allows those with some knowledge of the discipline to see how art and aesthetics can contribute to their research.