[ruraljuror]

I wrote the original comment (but logged into the wrong account, woops).

You make a good point about commentary, and it seems like the NEA Four would like to cast art specifically in that light, but of course any narrow pigeonholing of art is bound to fail.

I would quibble with your statement that artist would create art for the sake of the client, state, or church. Certainly they were patronized but that influence while significant doesn't tell the whole story. The contemporary concept of the working artist and the relationship to the public was revolutionized by Warhol. This article only mentions him twice in passing, so again I don't really take it that seriously.

I would suggest Sol Lewitt as a ceiling painter, but not sure where that rabbit hole would take us.