In this section of Look Again!, D’Alleva introduces critical theory by providing multiple definitions for “theory” and elaborating on its function in framing “better questions” for a “more focused inquiry” (11-12). In these chapters, the text continues to introduce numerous theories, terms, theorists, ideologies, and situates theories into dialectic relationships with one another. In doing so, the text exemplifies a main point from many of the contextual theories found in chapter three––that contexts vary across space and time, are influenced by a variety of factors (embodied experiences of identity, positionalities, intersecting tensions, etc.), and offer multiple means through which to frame questions.
I find D’Alleva’s narrative approach useful in broadening my understanding of these theories. The text clearly articulates its own narrative structure, offers definitions in accessible language, provides examples of theories-in-practice and questions for inquiry, and cites additional resources. Through reading these chapters, I feel more confident in my understanding of critical theory and more familiar with theorists who have developed and/or challenged various theoretical frameworks. I appreciate the attention the text paid to the functions of culture and art in societies, as attended to by Gramsci’s contributions to Marxist Theory. In various anthropology courses, I have studied Gramsci’s theories of cultural hegemony (50), and appreciate the ways in which D’Alleva’s text addresses art and visual culture, as understood within their specific contexts and the conditions for their production, and the cultural work they do.
I would like to learn more about––or discuss in class––the ways in which these theories relate and respond to one another. For example, how do proponents for Formalism in art history reconcile the conditions that made possible the artwork in question? Are Formalism and Marxist theory mutually exclusive?