The Death of Art

The Death of Art evaluates the philosopher Theodor W. Adorno's ideas on music, visual arts, and literature and their relevance to today's mass culture. Adorno drew concepts and inspiration from fields such as history, historiography, sociology, musicology, anthropology, philosophy, and psychology, which he used in his assessments of art. His varied perspectives resulted in writings that offer shocking glimpses into larger cultural issues. By insisting on opposition and employing an expressionistic writing style, Adorno invited readers to question his authority and formulate their own views. In this work, author B.R. Sharma uses similar tactics to isolate, revisit, and criticize some of Adorno's key philosophies. The result is a comprehensive and clear overview of Adorno's cultural theories that unearths trends pointing to the eventual death of art.