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Art, Labor, & The Absent Worker., Austin R. Wolf

Graduate School of Art Theses

This thesis considers the relationship between art and labor in twentieth century America while examining how this informs my art practice. The document aims to briefly examine Karl Marx theory of estranged labor, Hannah Arendt’s essay on the human condition of work, and philosophers such as John Ruskin and Jacque Ranciere, while discussing the relationship between art and labor. By giving a brief history of twentieth century art in reference to work and labor, I plan to excavate a deeper understanding of the relationship between Art, Labor, and work. The example artworks both historical and contemporary will support the accompanying …