The Role of the Artist in Contemporary Art

In this text, Chad Dawkins examines the structure and armatures which define the contours of the contemporary art world, it's methodologies and practices, and examines the assumptions and societal rationale behind what it means to perform the role of 'Artist' publicly. Relying on history, self-comparison, and confusion, contemporary artists find themselves looking farther out into an ever expanding field of art. Seeking to redefine their role, artists work via recontextualization to produce evidence of their existence. What are the implications historically, professionally, and aesthetically of the trend to recontextualize every creative possibility?