Hans Abbing
The Value of Art
Hans Abbing is a cultural economist and art writer who has been with us in December 2009. During his time in Huntly, he progressed his work The Value of Art: A Social Study of Art, Artists and the Arts Economy. The forthcoming book studies art, artists and the arts economy from the perspective of value. The emphasis is on value and values which are created, expressed and maintained in events in which people interact while focusing on art. Although the emphasis is on symbolic value, money value is discussed as well. Using insights from standard economics the book is primarily an application to the arts of the theory of the sociologist Randall Collins on interaction ritual chains. Also the theory of the sociologist Norbert Elias on the civilization process plays an essential role. Click here for a synopsis of the book.
Apart from this he also gave a full-house seminar on the issue of Why are Artists poor?
An article on the debate between Abbing and Bryan Morton has appeared in the Sunday Herald.
