Working Paper: NBER ID: w12034
Authors: David W. Galenson
Abstract: Art scholars have puzzled over the behavior of Pablo Picasso, Gerhard Richter, and Sigmar Polke - important modern painters who have made frequent and abrupt changes of style. Yet in each case the scholars have assumed this behavior to be idiosyncratic, and have consequently failed to recognize its common basis. Versatility is in fact often a characteristic of conceptual innovators, whose ability to solve specific problems can free them to pursue new goals. This contrasts sharply with the practice of experimental artists, whose inability to achieve their goals often ties them to a single style for a whole career. The phenomenon of the conceptual innovator who produces diverse innovations is an important feature of twentieth-century art; Picasso was the prototype, and he was followed by a series of others, from Marcel Duchamp through Damien Hirst. Versatility has furthermore been a characteristic not only of modern conceptual painters, but also of conceptual innovators in other arts, and conceptual scholars. Recognizing the common basis of this behavior increases our understanding of human creativity.
Keywords: No keywords provided
JEL Codes: No JEL codes provided
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| versatility of artists like Picasso, Polke, and Richter (Z11) | ability to produce diverse innovations (O36) |
| ability to solve specific problems (C60) | versatility of artists like Picasso, Polke, and Richter (Z11) |
| versatility of artists like Picasso, Polke, and Richter (Z11) | ability to pursue new goals (L21) |
| ability to shift styles (J62) | broader exploration of ideas (O36) |
| frequent changes in style by conceptual innovators (O35) | signs of vitality (I12) |
| experimental artists' inability to achieve artistic objectives (Z11) | tendency to remain tied to a single style (L15) |