Provoking Democracy: Why We Need the Arts

ISBN: 978-1-4051-5927-2

Paperback

272 pages

October 2007, Wiley-Blackwell

Other Available Formats: Hardcover

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A provocative and compelling exploration of the complex relationship between democracy and the arts
Argues that democracies require art - challenging art - to ensure that they are acting as free societies
Analyses the roles of dissenting and unpopular artists, such as Jackson Pollock, Bertolt Brecht, D. H. Lawrence, and 2 Live Crew in twentieth century society
Shows how artists in the tradition of the avant-garde may once again prove to be effective catalysts for contemporary change
Covers a broad range of topics, including disputes over obscenity, public funding, and censorship
Forms part of the Blackwell Manifestos series, in which top scholars offer lively interventions into current debates