| <Not an artist in any way, shape or form> IMHO, modern art tends to be less popular with the public because it primarily references other art. In other words, it's art made by artists, for artists. You have to have a deep understanding of the theories of art, the history of art, and the specific works the particular piece you are contemplating references in order to understand it. Art did not used to be made primarily for other artists. It was made for everyone. And that art, today, still tends to be widely popular. This does not mean that it is in any meaningful sense lesser art. Rembrandt cannot be said to be a lesser artist than Johns. But his paintings are definitely more accessible. Architecture is much the same. Brutalist and modern architecture tends to be very popular with other architects. But a brutalist home usually sucks to actually live in. Whereas more traditional forms -- southern farmhouses, traditional German cottages, etc. -- non-architects find to be charming and comfortable. The parent post here is getting at something real, which is whether nearly all high art should be self-referential. The art world, today, is pretty insular. That doesn't seem healthy to me. |