ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines certain aspects of the condition of the fine arts in the age of the mass media, explores the differences between two relatively autonomous realms and discusses the ways in which they interact. Some of the pressure for the expansion of the art historian's object of study was due to the cultural dominance of the mass media. Also significant was the fact that many modern artists had adopted new media technologies photography, film, video, computers - in order to make art. As more and more artists realize the crucial importance of the media to a successful career, more and more of them seek to control and manipulate their image and the dissemination of their work through the various channels of communication. The published literature on the relationship between 'high' and 'low' culture, art and mass media, is extensive.
