ABSTRACT
The idea of art as an institution was discovered practically by the early twentieth century visual arts avant-garde, notably Dadaism. Andre's bricks have their slot in an historical and social narrative which tells the story of the creation and working of art worlds, art institutions. Faced with Carl Andre's bricks, one may be happy to go along with the kind of story proposed. A thorough going sociological approach has found favour especially in relation to the visual arts and no doubt especially because paintings and sculptures are sought-after, portable and saleable commodities, the most impressive feature of which may be their price tag. But related theories have also been advanced for literature, especially for the construction of literary meaning. Without human beings to animate and reanimate them, a painting is merely paint on canvas, a literary work merely ink marks on paper: works of art are not like atoms and gases.
