Abstract
This article sets Bauman's arguments on postmodern art against current debates in the sociology of arts, particularly in the so-called ‘production of culture’ approach, and its notion of ‘art worlds’. It will argue that they offer two contradicting analytical positions on what constitutes art, which are, in principle, reductionist. However, they also help shed new light on a methodological model to understand ‘cultural practice’ in so-called postmodern art communities. The article is divided into three parts. First, it discusses Bauman's definitions of postmodern art; second, it re-contextualises Bauman's arguments within the production of culture approach. Third, it compares Bauman's notion of postmodern community with Becker's art worlds.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.