Dissertation Concerning a Political Economy of Art with Emphasis on the United States of America Cameron M. Weber May 8, 2015

Dissertation Concerning a Political Economy of Art with Emphasis on the United States of America Note title of dissertation. (Leonard Welsted 1724) Dissertation is intended to be a contribution and not a last word. 1

Dissertation Concerning a Political Economy of Art with Emphasis on the United States of America What are my original contributions and how is my work a cohesive whole. The main research question, “what are the relationships between art, the individual, society and the state?” 2

Dissertation Concerning a Political Economy of Art with Emphasis on the United States of America Dimitri Shostakovich on the cover of Time, July 20, His seventh symphony, Leningrad, debuts March 5, 1942 during the Siege of Leningrad. The Cairo Conference of the “Big Three” allies meets November

Dissertation Concerning a Political Economy of Art with Emphasis on the United States of America We use a periodization of the arts to help tie together the three main chapters of the dissertation. This historical approach allows us to observe cumulative causation among the main analytical categories of the dissertation. 5

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Dissertation Concerning a Political Economy of Art with Emphasis on the United States of America Main Chapters 1)The “Value Paradox” in Art Economics: Discourse on a Research Program Original contribution is that we survey the literature and find a shared pre-analytical vision (both implicit and explicit) among the practitioners of art economics. 7

Dissertation Concerning a Political Economy of Art with Emphasis on the United States of America Art as an economic good contains value beyond exchange-value. Orthodox (post-marginal revolution) economics focuses on exchange- value alone. This creates a “value paradox” for those practicing art economics. 8

Dissertation Concerning a Political Economy of Art with Emphasis on the United States of America Main Chapters 2) The Role of Museums in Utility-Enhancing Consumption Original contributions include, A model on how museums can encourage preference-creation for experience goods (art) by reducing the cost of consuming the unknown. 9

The Role of Museums in Utility-Enhancing Consumption 10

Dissertation Concerning a Political Economy of Art with Emphasis on the United States of America The Role of Museums in Utility-Enhancing Consumption Contributions include (cont.): A way for measuring the “top” museums in the United States and measuring how these museums prioritize education as mandated by their tax-free status. 11

Dissertation Concerning a Political Economy of Art with Emphasis on the United States of America The Role of Museums in Utility-Enhancing Consumption Further research introduced in the chapter: a.Evaluate spending priorities of smaller more local museums as probably more likely to create social value (cohesion of time and place) b.Compare asset (art) acquisitions versus current generation spending c.Study museum revenues relative to business-cycle to see if art is indeed “for the rich.” 12

Dissertation Concerning a Political Economy of Art with Emphasis on the United States of America Main Chapters 3) Political Economy of New Deal Art ( ) as Seen Through the Lens of State Theory Original contributions include, A model assigning self-interest to the behavior of the state, Applying this model to state-funded art production, and Finding that if the art calls for a larger discretionary role for the state in society we determine that this is “art statism.” 13

Political Economy of New Deal Art ( ) as Seen Through the Lens of State Theory Fichte Triangle Illustrating Historical “Progress” and State Power From discussion in Wagner, Fiscal Sociology (2007), additions and diagram by author. Dichotomy and Continuum between Order and Organization 14

Duncan, “Ingres’s Vow of Louis XIII and the Politics of the Restoration,” Art and Architecture in the Service of Politics (1980). Louis XIII crowned Charles X crowned in Ingres’s painting from 1824, courtesy of Louvre website. 15

Political Economy of New Deal Art ( ) as Seen Through the Lens of State Theory Original contributions (cont.): A model illustrating the relationship between the individual and society, specifically, Shared precognitive aesthetics (following Hume and Kant), Preference creation in society, and Preference revelation in exchange. 16

Political Economy of New Deal Art ( ) as Seen Through the Lens of State Theory Original contributions (cont.): A case study of New Deal art produced from several archival sources, finding that some of the content of this art was, 1)Changed perhaps to prevent the viewer (the median voter) from questioning the legitimacy of the content, and 2)Produced in order to appeal to base emotions (fear) in order to create preferences for more discretionary state programs 17

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Political Economy of New Deal Art ( ) as Seen Through the Lens of State Theory 19

Dissertation Concerning a Political Economy of Art with Emphasis on the United States of America Art can be used in service of a coercive state, but it doesn’t have to be, and art-statism is not necessarily always a bad thing. 20

Dissertation Concerning a Political Economy of Art with Emphasis on the United States of America “Propaganda is the means by which charismatic leadership, circumventing intermediary social and political institutions like parliaments, parties and interest groups, gains direct hold upon the masses.” Schivelbusch, Three New Deals (2006)

Dissertation Concerning a Political Economy of Art with Emphasis on the United States of America Das Adam Smith Problem “Recently, however, there has been talk among experts on federalism that the federation as a form of government may be in decline and that confederations are again on the rise. This paradigm shift may stem from the breakup of Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union, troubles in the Russian Federation, the spread of secessionist movements, and the coming together of Europe into a confederation.” Eland, Partitioning for Peace: An Exit Strategy for Iraq (2009)

Dissertation Concerning a Political Economy of Art with Emphasis on the United States of America “More generally, the decline of statism and the rise of globalization – as well as the concomitant increase in regionalization – have led to a trend toward creating confederational forms of governance.” Eland, Partitioning for Peace: An Exit Strategy for Iraq (2009)