Reclaiming Art in the Age of Artifice

A compelling call to rediscover the transformative power of art in an age of distraction, coercion, and spectacle

In Reclaiming Art in the Age of Artifice, J. F. Martel offers a compelling and incisive meditation on the nature of art in a world dominated by invasive media, rampant consumer culture, and artificial intelligence. Drawing on a wide range of examples, from Paleolithic cave art to contemporary cinema, Martel argues that true art reveals the unseen forces shaping our existence—forces that transcend politics, technology, and even culture. In contrast to artifice, which seeks to manipulate or distract, authentic art calls us back to the essence of things, opening “rifts” onto the sublime and the weird and reconnecting us with the radical mystery at the heart of the world. 
 
Featuring a foreword by Pulitzer Prize–winning author Donna Tartt, this edition also includes a new afterword by the author, reflecting on the continued relevance of art in our increasingly mediated world.

J. F. Martel is a writer and lecturer on art, culture, and philosophy. With musicologist Phil Ford, he cohosts the popular art and philosophy podcast Weird Studies. He lives in Ottawa, Canada.