The Battle for Art

The concept of cultural appropriation is nothing new to the western art world. However, the term and general knowledge of the concept seem to have exploded in the last ten to fifteen years. This recent visibility has brought about both awareness and misuse of the concept, and has created a chasm in opinions on the subject, leading to the mire of argumentative factionalism the western art world finds itself in today.

The Battle for Art is an attempt to bridge the gap between the two prevalent viewpoints surrounding the debate and bring clarity to the concerns, questions, and objections raised by both sides. In this book, a first in providing the needed comprehensive research about the subject of cultural appropriation and art, you will learn the different definitions of the term "cultural appropriation," why those different definitions matter, and why the specific definition endorsed by the Popular Cultural Misappropriation Movement raises problematic arguments that are harmful to both the creation of art and the artist, regardless of the ethnicity or background they come from.

Through addressing concerns and finding opportunities to engender genuine discussion, The Battle for Art shows that art is a bridge to bring diverse people together, not a wall to divide them into neatly categorized enclaves.