Art in and out of context

This article discusses the role of context in arts and aesthetic theory and demonstrates that contextual analysis broadens our understanding of these two realms. It demonstrates a codification of an important controversy in aesthetic theory and arts between formalist and contextualist theories. It serves as a means to highlighting some moments in the development of aesthetics and arts that contributed to the rejection of old paradigms (disinterest theory, formalism) and instigated a move towards a more context-focused analyses of art and aesthetics.