ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Claire Brunet Diagnoses Crisis in Aesthetic Discourse

publication · 2026-04-23

In a 1992 article for Artpress, Claire Brunet examines the state of aesthetic discourse, arguing that the economic crisis in the West has exacerbated a deeper crisis in artistic thought and creation. After twelve years of postmodernism, with its eclecticism and principle of derealization, Brunet, along with Marc Jimenez and Jacqueline Lichtenstein, calls for a rereading of modernity. Brunet's analysis focuses on how pleasure has been abandoned in favor of truth effects.

Key facts

  • Article published in Artpress on July 8, 1992.
  • Author: Claire Brunet.
  • Co-contributors: Marc Jimenez and Jacqueline Lichtenstein.
  • Thesis: economic crisis in the West deepens a crisis in artistic thought.
  • Critique of twelve years of postmodernism.
  • Calls for a rereading of modernity.
  • Focus on abandonment of pleasure for truth effects.
  • PDF available for download.

Entities

Artists

  • Claire Brunet
  • Marc Jimenez
  • Jacqueline Lichtenstein

Institutions

  • Artpress

Sources