The Arts in the West Since 1945

Book excerpt: The 'Arts' hold a revered and respected place within modern Western society - but what exactly defines 'culture'; what gives it this enigmatic status; what influences its composition and propagation; what controls and limitations is it subject to; and what can it achieve within our world?Arthur Marwick tackles these issues head on, with a both detailed and eclectic account of the 'Arts' in the West since the Second World War. He looks at the full range of possible candidates for the category of 'Art', from both elite and popular cultures: from high literature to pulp fiction, fromart-house cinema to soap-opera, Art Music to Rock and Pop.This book looks at the fascinating diversity of twentieth-century art in the context of the social, technological, and political events, movements, and developments that have shaped our history - such as the holocaust, the television, feminism. Marwick examines how these factors have affected thecultural output of Western society since 1945, and in turn how art has fed back its own agenda and priorities into this society.