Contextualisation devices: how anticipated peer group evaluations guide visual artists’ use of artistic influences

Abstract

Artists’ creative processes do not happen in isolation; they are informed by influences that artists borrow from their colleagues’ works. However, artists must judiciously use influences, as mere imitation is often viewed unfavourably in art, where originality is highly valued. This article investigates how the anticipation of peer group evaluation affects visual artists’ use of the artistic influences that circulate on online platforms. A qualitative analysis of 18 theme interviews incorporating a media go-along component, conducted with Finland-based visual artists, showed that members of the international artistic community share their latest works on various online platforms. This phenomenon allows artists to observe what kind of art their colleagues are making and integrate these influences into their own art making. An important finding is that, as these influences are widely known among art world insiders, they gain intersubjective meanings, which enable the anticipation of peer groups’ evaluations. Based on this insight, this article introduces the concept of contextualisation device and an associated theoretical framework to explain how the anticipation of peer group evaluations regarding borrowed influences informs decision-making in the creative and cultural industries. The empirical analysis focuses on the distinction and identification that creators undertake in relation to fashionable influences.