Art Is Not What You Think It Is - Critical Incursions on Art

In this review of Art Is Not What You Think It Is the authors' combined scholarship makes this book a valuable read for anyone engaged with how the idea of art operates within social and historical contexts. The bottom line: this is a dense, thought-provoking collection best suited to readers who want rigorous theoretical analysis rather than a survey or introduction. It delivers original research that connects museology, history, and criticism to contemporary conditions, making it worth buying for scholars, curators, and advanced students seeking a challenging reinterpretation of what art means.

Key Features

• Original research: The book presents fresh scholarly incursions that expose gaps and silences in existing debates about art, offering new lines of inquiry for researchers.
• Interdisciplinary links: By connecting museology, history, theory, and criticism, the text helps readers understand how institutional practices shape artistic meaning.
• Engagement with controversy: The authors address divisive topics such as blasphemy and idolatry to show how moral and religious concerns intersect with artistic claims.
• Cross-cultural perspective: The work compares European notions of art and artifice with indigenous and other traditions to broaden the reader's understanding of artistic categories.
• Contemporary relevance: Analysis ties historical and theoretical issues to present-day social conditions, making the arguments applicable to current museum and curatorial debates.

Who It's For

Art Is Not What You Think It Is is aimed primarily at academics, museum professionals, curators, and graduate students who already have a grounding in art theory or museology and who want a rigorous, research-based critique of prevailing assumptions. The book's mode of argument assumes familiarity with critical vocabulary and historical frameworks.

Readers seeking a general introduction to art history, a visually driven coffee-table book, or a light overview of contemporary art practices should look elsewhere, as the text prioritizes analytic depth and debate over broad accessibility.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Thoughtful, original scholarship that opens new avenues for research in art theory and museology.
• Interdisciplinary approach that helps situate art within institutional and social realities.
• Careful treatment of contentious topics, offering nuanced perspectives rather than polemics.

Cons

• Dense, academic prose may be challenging for casual readers or newcomers to criticism.

Specifications

Title	Art Is Not What You Think It Is
Authors	Donald Preziosi, Claire Farago
Focus	Museology, history, theory, and criticism
Themes	Blasphemy, idolatry, artistic truth, cross-cultural art notions
Approach	Original research and critical incursions
Recommended readers	Scholars, curators, advanced students

Our Verdict

Art Is Not What You Think It Is is a rigorous, high-value contribution for those invested in the theoretical and institutional study of art. Its original research and interdisciplinary links make it especially useful for museum professionals and scholars who need a sustained, critical account of how art functions across cultural and social contexts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this book suitable for beginners?
The book is aimed at readers with prior exposure to art theory and museology; beginners may find the prose and assumptions challenging.

Does it address non-European art traditions?
Yes, the authors explicitly consider relations between European concepts of art and those developed in indigenous and other cultural traditions.

Will this be useful to museum professionals?
Yes, the interdisciplinary focus on museology and institutional realities makes it particularly relevant to curators and museum scholars.