Art’s Properties

Art’s Properties by David Joselit is a provocative and lucid examination of how artworks acquire meaning, value, and social presence in the contemporary global art world. Ideal for curators, students, collectors, and art lovers in New York, London, Toronto, and beyond, this book untangles the relationships between ownership, circulation, and visual culture with intellectual clarity and real-world relevance.

Joselit’s writing draws you in with sharp observations about images and institutions, then sustains interest through carefully chosen case studies and persuasive theoretical insight. Readers will find a clear map of how art moves — through galleries, digital networks, auctions, and museums — and how those movements shape both perception and property. The narrative balances accessible prose with rigorous scholarship, making complex ideas usable for classroom discussion, museum practice, or private collecting.

What makes this volume essential is its timely perspective: it locates contemporary debates about authorship, reproduction, and economic value within broader cultural and geographical contexts. Whether you’re researching art history in the United States, examining gallery systems in Europe, or exploring visual culture across cities worldwide, Joselit’s analysis supplies tools to rethink how art operates today.

Thoughtful, engaging, and richly argued, Art’s Properties offers a fresh lens on contemporary art’s inner workings. Add this compelling work by David Joselit to your collection to deepen your understanding of visual culture, museum studies, and the global art market. Order now to bring a leading voice in contemporary art theory into your library.

Note: eBooks do not include supplementary materials such as CDs, access codes, etc.