Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The value of art is a critical concept in theoretical discourse. As a result, the high prices
of artworks on auctions pose questions about the various processes of value construction
and the status of art in these processes.
This thesis adopts a sociological approach to the construction of value of art on South
African auctions. This approach is situated within a socio-historical perspective, which
introduces the various social structures and conditions of cultural production. The main
premise of this approach is that a multiplicity of social and cultural influences permeates
the art market, its processes and structures, and therefore the determination of value. This
research therefore indicates that the value of art on auction is socially constructed. As
such, the value of an artwork does not reside in itself, but is produced (and constantly
reproduced) through processes that are subject to the codes and conventions of the art
world.
Within the context of the art market, artworks function as commodities for economic
exchange. Since economic exchange is socially and culturally situated, the distinctive
ways in which art auctions in South Africa (as a market intermediary) encompass certain
social and cultural processes, is also explored. To asses the various factors that influence
the value and exchange of artworks on auction, the study introduces the Components of
Value Model. The Aesthetic and Historical Factors; the Supporting Documentation and
Material Attributes of an artwork, as well as the Financial and Economic Factors
collectively indicate that values are, first and foremost, social categories. The value of art
on auction is therefore a socially constructed value. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die waarde van kuns is ‘n kritiese konesep in teoretiese gesprekvoering. Na aanleiding
van die hoë pryse wat kunswerke op Suid-Afrikaanse veilings behaal, word verskeie vrae
gevolglik gestel rondom die verskillende prosesse van waarde samestelling en die status
van kuns in hierdie prosesse.
Hierdie verhandeling neem ‘n sosiologiese benadering aan tot die samestelling van die
waarde van kuns op veilings. Dié benadering is gesetel binne ‘n sosio-historiese
perspektief wat verskeie sosiale strukture en voorwaardes van kulturele-produksie inlei.
Die hoof premis van hierdie benadering is dat ‘n aantal sosiale en kulturele invloede die
kunsmark se prosesse en trukture deurweek, en gevolglik ook die bepaling van waarde.
Hierdie navorsing kom dus tot die gevolgtrekking dat die waarde van kuns op veilings
sosiaal geskep word. Gevolglik is die waarde van kuns nie intrinsiek nie, maar word
geproduseer (en aanhoudend geherproduseer) deur prosesse wat onderhewig is aan die
kodes en konvensies van die kunswêreld.
Binne die konteks van die kunsmark, funksioneer kunswerke bloot as kommoditeite vir
ekonomiese verhandeling. Omdat ekonomiese vehandeling sosiaal en kultureel gesetel is,
word die eiesoortige wyse van hoe kunsveilings (as ‘n marktussenganger) sekere sosiale
en kulturele prosesse omvat, ook ondersoek. Om die veskeie faktore wat die waarde van
kunswerke op veilings beïnvloed te ondersoek, word die ‘Komponente van Waarde
Model’ ingebring. Gevolglik dui die Esteties- en Historiese Faktore; Ondersteunende
Dokumentasie en Materiële Eienskappe van kunswerke asook die Finansiële en
Ekonomiese Faktore gesamantlik aan dat waardes hoofsaaklik sosiale kategorieë is. Die
waarde van kuns op veiling is gevolglik sosiaal gekonstrueer.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/20053 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Van Zyl, Marelize |
| Contributors | Van Robbroeck, Lize, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Visual Arts. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 136 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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