Narratives in Contemporary Art

The five essays selected for this book offer different approaches to the problem of narratives of contemporary art, based on observation of the central significance of contextual and situational realities and anthropological concreteness of microconstellations. The singularity of each concrete situation, the authenticity of the specific, contextual meanings intensify the empathic perception of intimacy, fragility, micro-history. The powerful, poetic effectiveness of the concreteness of singular, situational and contextual realities suffuses authentic narration. This enhances sensitivity to concrete diversities, to anthropological multiplicity and to singularity of lived realities. Contemporary narratives are shaped by imminent relevance of specific contextual or situational meanings. The 'concreteness of concrete selves in their immediate societies' described by Arthur C. Danto becomes the core of the narration of our era's artists. Their voices are imbued with empathy, sensitivity, openness, tolerance and authenticity, making them poetically effective, even cathartic.