John Dewey, Art and Public Life

Abstract

This article explores, criticizes, and extends John Dewey's arguments about art in relation to public life in a democracy. Dewey believed that art is a potent form of communication through which community is developed and political action undertaken. Although correct, Dewey erased conflict, negotiation, and contestation from art, and failed to address the crucial role of power in the world of art. Three distinct kinds of political action through art are developed: pragmatic, deliberative, and confrontational.