Louis Torres

Michelle Marder Kamhi and Louis Torres analyze the scant critical and scholarly attention that has been devoted to Rand 's aesthetic theory by other writers since its publication more than a quarter-century ago. They argue that, with few exceptions, Objectivists and non-Objectivists alike have tended to misinterpret and undervalue Rand 's philosophy of art—which has not been sufficiently distinguished from her theory of Romantic literature. They also point to infelicities of style that have impeded serious consideration of her ideas.

MICHELLE MARDER KAMHI and LOUIS TORRES analyze the scant critical and scholarly attention that has been devoted to Rand's aesthetic theory by other writers since its publication more than a quarter-century ago. They argue that, with few exceptions, Objectivists and non-Objectivists alike have tended to misinterpret and undervalue Rand's philosophy of art which has not been sufficiently distinguished from her theory of Romantic literature. They also point to infelicities of style that have impeded serious consideration of her ideas.

What is art? The arts establishment has a simple answer: anything is art if a reputed artist or expert says it is. Though many people are skeptical about the alleged new art forms that have proliferated since the early twentieth century, today's critics claim that all such work, however incomprehensible, is art. A groundbreaking alternative to this view is provided by philosopher-novelist Ayn Rand (1905-1982). Best known as the author of The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, Rand also created an original and illuminating theory of art, which confirms the widespread view that much of today's purported art is really not art at all. In What Art Is, Torres and Kamhi present a lucid introduction to Rand's esthetic theory, contrasting her ideas with those of other thinkers. They conclude that, in its basic principles, her account is compelling, and is corroborated by evidence from anthropology, neurology, cognitive science, and psychology. The authors apply Rand's theory to a debunking of the work of prominent modernists and postmodernists--from Mondrian, Jackson Pollock, and Samuel Beckett to John Cage, Merce Cunningham, and other highly regarded avant-garde figures. Finally, they explore the implications of Rand's ideas for the issues of government and corporate support of the arts, art law, and arts education. Table of Contents / Chapter Summaries / Introduction (excerpts) / Endorsements / Reviews & Responses: Choice (Association of College and Research Libraries, 2001); The Art Book (U.K. Association of Art Historians, 2001); and more. Jacques Barzun (1907-2012), Cultural Historian - Bio / Endorsements / Letters from / "In Depth" interview on Book TV [C-SPAN2]: Endorsement.

Louis Torres (co-author of What Art Is) questions the privileged position, amounting to an institutional monopoly, of modernist avant-gardism in the visual arts. After the Avant-Gardes is a rallying call for all those who have been disquieted or disgusted by the excesses of artistic modernism. This is a collection of ten provocative essays on the arts, by writers of varied orientations who share a skepticism about the exaggerated role of modernism and the successive avant-gardes in shaping what is accepted as valid contemporary art. The essays cover painting and other visual arts, literature, music, and general observations about all the arts. It is not an exercise in hand-wringing about the current state of the arts, but looks for different directions in which the arts may now fruitfully evolve. Despite the diverse philosophies of the distinguished writers, these essays together constitute a formidable case against the unhealthy impact of avant-gardism on our lives and aesthetic culture.

Torres examines key studies and commentaries on the nature of scholarship, especially regarding commonly accepted standards of scholarly writing, before responding to the essays in The Journal of Ayn Rand Studie'Aesthetics Symposium, most of which critiqued portions of What Art Is: The Esthetic Theory of Ayn Rand He concludes that only two of the essays meet such standards as knowledge of subject matter, rules of evidence, clarity of communication, and integrity —even when critical of his and Michelle Kamhi's co-authored work. The other essays, he argues, are flawed in varying respects.