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(An economic analysis of the quality evaluation process in the contemporary art: studies into young visual artists' careers)Martin, Bénedicte (2005), PhD thesisSupervised by François Eymard-Duvernayhttp://www.theses.fr/2005PA100145ABSTRACTThis work aims to propose an analytical framework of the construction of a work of art's quality which is impossible to differentiate from the quality of the artist himself. Artistic quality is unspecified a priori; put differently, the artistic goods are incomplete. Consequently, a social production, first, of a definition of artistic quality, and, then, of identification of the works likely to be valuable, is needed. Firstly, aiming at establishing the various ways to define what is, and what should be, a work of art, we carry out a textual analysis of speeches held by famous art critics. Three grammars of artistic quality are identified, corresponding to three conventions in the current Art, Contemporary art is only one of those conventions, the one on which we focus now our attention. Next, the social world of contemporary art is presented. Composed of both artists and experts, it is based on a specific qualification register. As legitimizing authorities, experts complete (i. E. Identify and qualify) the art goods submitted to their judgement. Resting on the Cultural economics literature (mainly the institutionnalist one), we showed the necessity to analyse the dynamics of recognition of the artists by the experts. Then, the French school of Economics of Conventions offers a theoretical framework renewing the analysis of qualification operations. Its core concept of “trials” allows to study the aim and the procedures of the artists' evaluation. A qualitative analysis, mainly resting on investigations and observations, enables us to identify several types of artistic “recognition trials” organized in a network. We then mobilize the Economics of networks in order to conceptualize the dynamics of the artist and his works' qualification. The hierarchical network of recognition trials thus obtained constitutes the young artists insertion path on the market of contemporary art.Thesis defende at Univierstiy of Paris 10JuryÈve ChiapelloVictor GinsburghAndré OrléanLes rapporteursNathalie HeinichDominique Sagot-Duvauroux