The Transfiguration of the Commonplace

“This book is a long meditation on Brillo boxes putting themselves forward as works-of-art, or, ‘gerrymandered’ (Danto raids everywhere for his brilliant figurations) by interpretation into expressiveness, into metaphoricality. Malraux proposes seeing art as a metamorphosis performed by museums and juxtaposition and time (history). Danto proposes art as a metaphor of the commonplace. Art makes obvious things odd; it paradoxicalizes the ordinary. It defamiliarizes. Danto is fun… Buy it and read.”—Commonweal

“One of the most philosophically interesting books to date in the philosophy of art. Concerned with defining ‘work of art’…Danto demonstrates an enviable breadth of knowledge in both philosophy and art history. The result is a volume that is certain to be at the center of discussion in this area in the coming years.”—Marcia M. Eaton, Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism

“By focusing on the question ‘How do banal objects become transfigured into works of art?,’ the author exposes the definitive qualities of a work of art… The book contains an excellent discussion of ‘style’ in art. Danto both builds on and challenges some of the basic tenets of Nelson Goodman… This book will be heard of for some time to come.”—Choice