Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang

artists actively promoted the use
Feminist
historically feminine materials, skills and
of
thereby enriching and widening the
artforms,
of the “fine arts”. An example is
perspective
Chicago’s significant and controversial
Judy
installation The Dinner Party. Produced
1979
over 5 years by over 400 artists,
collaboratively
installation consists of 39 seats at a dinner
the
each place celebrating a famous woman
table,
history. In addition, there are names of
from
998 noteworthy women from history
another
in gold on heritage floor tiles. Each
inscribed
setting is unique, featuring forms of art such
table
china painting, pottery, embroidery, weaving
as
so on, and was meant to draw attention to
and
knowledge of these art forms, and their value
the
fine or high art, being exhibited in reputable
as
institutions. The installation has toured six
art
for all its success, and despite being
But
as a triumph for women artists and
hailed
art, The Dinner Party has also received
feminist
around questions of inclusion and
criticism
of historical women figures.
representation
forms of art, and which women, were
Which
enough to be included? What is
significant
and lost by the presence or erasure
gained
certain perspectives? These questions of
of
inclusion and significance, as
representation,
as the central question of what counts as
well
are woven throughout this book
knowledge,
will be important to engage with in your
and
TOK exhibition as part of the internal
own
The choices you make will have
assessment.
Consider the implications of
implications.
books, tattoos and advertisement are
Comic
the creative processes and products
among
have had their artistic status questioned.
that
factors influence whether these can be
What
example above alerts us to the fact that
The
or blurring distinctions does not erase
erasing
underlying power relations; the powers
the
simply decided how far the boundary
have
shift and maintain it through various
will
and processes.
institutions
TOK course itself is not outside the
The
of influence of the intellectual tradition
sphere
drew boundaries between art and craft,
that
industries and cultural aesthetic
creative
Making the arts a mandatory AOK
practices.
the value and relevance of this body
signals
knowledge and validates the importance
of
the knowledge community that produces
of
However, the membership of potters,
it.
embroiderers and other craftspeople
weavers,
this community is not uncomplicated or
in
This book, and the TOK
uncontroversial.
does not have a chapter on craft:
course,
the implications and possible reasons
consider
excluding the combined knowledge of
for
from the theory of knowledge.
craftspeople
a role: for example, some tattoo artists
plays
by that title, whereas others prefer to call
go
tatooists. To what extent would you
themselves
a boundary between art and other
maintain
pursuits? How would you define this
creative
boundary?
I. Scope
I. Scope
The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago
Figure 10.3
continents and had over 15 million visitors.
Chicago’s decisions for The Dinner Party
For reflection
The “borderline” cases of art
considered examples of art? Language also
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