Why is this even an issue? Why not just enjoy art without rocking the boat?
From
Published on before 2005
I hope that the above discussion outlines what makes a work of art good, but I think there's another issue that deserves attention which is why this issue isn't completely obvious to everyone. After all, plumbers don't sit around wondering whether or not there is such a thing as good plumbing and they sure don't go around denying that there's such a thing. Unfortunately, this is exactly what so many docents, professors, and journalists have been doing for past hundred years. There is a movement which has been dominant in academia for a long time which teaches that art is undefinable, inexplicable, and beyond evaluation as good and bad. Since none of this can be rationally justified, these ideas are preached like unquestioned dogma in our schools, museums, and in the press. Whether you buy the point of view I have expressed above or not, you should ask yourself whether this "Art is undefinable"/"Art is all good"/"Everything is art"/"Art is whatever anyone says it is" philosophy has ever been proven to you or whether it was just repeated over and over or put forth in an intimidating manner where the implication was that if you didn't accept it you must be some unenlightened philistine.
This philosophy has damaged the art world tremendously. It has removed the teaching of actual skills from the educational system. It has dried up most markets for good art. It has created a self-sustaining, self-congratulatory, anti-intellectual segment of society dedicated to the eradication of good art and art in general. These ideas stunt the development of young artists, poison public discourse on art, obscure an accurate history of the arts, and keep excellent works of art off museum walls and in the basement. Finger painting and oddball piles of trash (or worse) are given press coverage and vast amounts of museum space, while brilliant masterpieces are kept in the basement, and student copyists are kept outside (copying masterpieces was once a typical part of a young artist's training). In short, the movement to eliminate art, to confuse the public, and to re-write history is horribly damaging, and not merely some esoteric belief with no real world impact.
Openly challenging these bad ideas is the only way that we can overcome the destruction of the art world and start the rebuilding. Of course this means conflict, of course it means hurt feelings, of course it means confronting error, and of course it will mean that careers based on those false ideas will be put at risk, but it is also the right thing to do and I am determined to fight for improvement even if it means some people will have their ideas challenged and even if it means some people will be mad at me. It's well worth the trouble to keep on rocking the boat, and I intend to continue to rock even harder.
