Artful Objects

Graham Harman on Art and the Business of Speculative Realism

Paperback
$19.95 US
On sale May 25, 2021 | 84 Pages | 9783956795244

A lecture by the originator of object-oriented philosophy, delivered on the occasion of the Sculpture after Sculpture exhibition at Moderna Museet, Stockholm.

Can objects be traumatized? How does the commercial value of an art object relate to its aesthetic qualities? How do objects interact? These are some of the questions addressed by Graham Harman, the originator of object-oriented philosophy and a central figure of the Speculative Realism school of thought in contemporary philosophy. This book includes Graham Harman's lecture “What Is an Object?” delivered at Moderna Museet in Stockholm, on the occasion of the exhibition “Sculpture after Sculpture,” with Jeff Koons, Charles Ray, and Katharina Fritsch—artists, who have expanded the notion of the object in art and society at large.

In his lecture, Harman gives a thorough exposition of the object from an ontological standpoint and puts forward a concept of the object that goes beyond reductionist orientations. He declares a philosophical approach bringing philosophy and the arts closely together, where objects are impenetrable to direct knowledge and paraphrase and instead must be approached obliquely and indirectly. The publication also includes a symposium in which thirteen questions to Graham Harman—among and in relation to the thirteen sculptures of the show—that were posed about the implications of object oriented philosophy for art, business administration, and philosophy.

Contributors

Graham Harman, Daniel Birnbaum, Lars Strannegård, Sven-Olov Wallenstein, Pierre Guillet de Monthoux, Marcia Cavalcante, Jo Widoff, Sigrid Sandström, Michael Dahlén, Emma Stenström, Jenny Lanz, Ebba Sjögren, Isak Nilson, Erik Wikberg

Copublished with the Stockholm School of Economics

Graham Harman is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at SCI–Arc in Los Angeles. His work on the metaphysics of objects led to the development of object-oriented ontology. He is a central figure in the speculative realism trend in contemporary philosophy.

Erik Wikberg is a Researcher at Stockholm School of Economics.

About

A lecture by the originator of object-oriented philosophy, delivered on the occasion of the Sculpture after Sculpture exhibition at Moderna Museet, Stockholm.

Can objects be traumatized? How does the commercial value of an art object relate to its aesthetic qualities? How do objects interact? These are some of the questions addressed by Graham Harman, the originator of object-oriented philosophy and a central figure of the Speculative Realism school of thought in contemporary philosophy. This book includes Graham Harman's lecture “What Is an Object?” delivered at Moderna Museet in Stockholm, on the occasion of the exhibition “Sculpture after Sculpture,” with Jeff Koons, Charles Ray, and Katharina Fritsch—artists, who have expanded the notion of the object in art and society at large.

In his lecture, Harman gives a thorough exposition of the object from an ontological standpoint and puts forward a concept of the object that goes beyond reductionist orientations. He declares a philosophical approach bringing philosophy and the arts closely together, where objects are impenetrable to direct knowledge and paraphrase and instead must be approached obliquely and indirectly. The publication also includes a symposium in which thirteen questions to Graham Harman—among and in relation to the thirteen sculptures of the show—that were posed about the implications of object oriented philosophy for art, business administration, and philosophy.

Contributors

Graham Harman, Daniel Birnbaum, Lars Strannegård, Sven-Olov Wallenstein, Pierre Guillet de Monthoux, Marcia Cavalcante, Jo Widoff, Sigrid Sandström, Michael Dahlén, Emma Stenström, Jenny Lanz, Ebba Sjögren, Isak Nilson, Erik Wikberg

Copublished with the Stockholm School of Economics

Author

Graham Harman is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at SCI–Arc in Los Angeles. His work on the metaphysics of objects led to the development of object-oriented ontology. He is a central figure in the speculative realism trend in contemporary philosophy.

Erik Wikberg is a Researcher at Stockholm School of Economics.

Books for National Depression Education and Awareness Month

For National Depression Education and Awareness Month in October, we are sharing a collection of titles that educates and informs on depression, including personal stories from those who have experienced depression and topics that range from causes and symptoms of depression to how to develop coping mechanisms to battle depression.

Read more

Horror Titles for the Halloween Season

In celebration of the Halloween season, we are sharing horror books that are aligned with the themes of the holiday: the sometimes unknown and scary creatures and witches. From classic ghost stories and popular novels that are celebrated today, in literature courses and beyond, to contemporary stories about the monsters that hide in the dark, our list

Read more

Books for LGBTQIA+ History Month

For LGBTQIA+ History Month in October, we’re celebrating the shared history of individuals within the community and the importance of the activists who have fought for their rights and the rights of others. We acknowledge the varying and diverse experiences within the LGBTQIA+ community that have shaped history and have led the way for those

Read more