This book offers a critical examination of influential social theories of art that points to the poverty of much contemporary "art theory" (including that of the New Art History and its deconstructionist critics) and the important but underacknowledged ethical implications of theorizing. Heywood writes clearly and illuminatingly about the problematic relationship between the seminar and the studio, theory and practice; his findings will be of interest and relevance to students of sociology, art history, fine art, philosophy, and cultural studies.