Date of Award
2018
Document Type
Thesis - Restricted Access (SIA Only)
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Art Business
First Advisor
Kathy Battista
Abstract
We are living in the golden age of television. As a medium, television has ascended to the level of prestige once reserved exclusively for film. Greater financial resources, collaboration with celebrated actors, and culturally-relevant programming mark the arrival of television as an art form prime for scholarly analysis. The symbolic importance of recognizable works of art has been explored at length in the context of film studies, but little research has focused on the placement of artists’ images in current television series. This thesis explores the presentations of contemporary art collections in two programs: Fox’s Empire and Showtime’s Billions. Through a pair of case studies, this analysis discerns that art featured on television visually reinforces a program’s narrative progression, reflects trends in the contemporary art market, and highlights inherent contradictions in the legal matter of artists’ rights.
Recommended Citation
Lichtenberg, Lauren, "Behind the Scenes: The Role of Visual Art in Prestige Television" (2018). MA Theses. 42.
https://digitalcommons.sia.edu/stu_theses/42