Why We Make Art and why it is Taught

Front Cover
Intellect, University of Chicago, 2010 - Art - 195 pages

Governments around the world spend millions on art and cultural institutions, evidence of a basic human need for what the author refers to as “creating aesthetic significance.” Yet what function or purpose does art satisfy in today’s society? In this thorough and accessible text, Richard Hickman rejects the current vogue for social and cultural accounts of the nature of art-making in favor of a largely psychological approach aimed at addressing contemporary developmental issues in art education. Bringing to bear current ideas about evolutionary psychology, this second edition will be an important resource for anyone interested in arts education.

About the author (2010)

Richard Hickman is a reader at the University of Cambridge, Faculty of Education. His previous publications include Research in Art and Design Education and Critical Studies in Art and Design Education.

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