This book draws on the work of anthropologist Alfred Gell to reinstate
the importance of the object in art and society. Rather than presenting
art as a passive recipient of the artist's intention and the audience's
critique, the authors consider it in the social environment of its
production and reception.
A Return to the Object introduces the historical and theoretical
framework out of which an anthropology of art has emerged, and examines
the conditions under which it has renewed interest. It also explores
what art 'does' as a social and cultural phenomenon, and how it can
impact alternative ways of organising and managing knowledge. Making use
of ethnography, museological practice, the intellectual history of the
arts and sciences, material culture studies and intangible heritage, the
authors present a case for the re-orientation of current conversations
surrounding the anthropology of art and social theory.
This text will be of key interest to students and scholars in the social
and historical sciences, arts and humanities, and cognitive sciences.