Aesthetic Capture
Aesthetic Capture is a new conceptual term which attempts to define the American Contemporary Art zeitgeist. The term investigates the most powerful, yet least exmined aesthetic influence on current art practice.
American contemporary art cannot critique the capital that funds it. This shapes the entire discourse. Artwork that does critique this capital is left out of the discourse by the philanthropic funded academic gatekeepers.
These gatekeepers, curators, directors, and the successfull artists they lift up, cannot critique the capital that pays thier salaries and funds their institutions. If they did their funding would be given to more obedient gatekeepers.
therefore:
The defining aesthetic style of 21st century american art is a failure to crtitique capitalism.
Future hisotrians will look back at this period as we do at pre-rennaisance art.
When will our rennai$ance begin?
Aesthetic Capture works on many levels (listed above). Some are obvious, like a curator's choice to censor political work from a major exhibition. Others are more sublte, like an artist choosing not to make their prefered work in order to make work that sells.