Why do people dislike modern and contemporary art?
<p>There are two main reasons for this, both equally important. Firstly, most people’s implicit conception of ‘art’ — picked up from school and along the way — tends to be narrow and blinkered, and fixed on the idea that ‘art’ is all about beauty and skilled craftsmanship — of the sort you find in state museums and national galleries — and not about anything else. This is an easy perspective to hold on to, and easy to apply, and it fits with a wider conception of what life is all about: striving to achieve special skills and abilities that are recognised by all. So when ‘art’ heads off in a completely different direction — as is the case with contemporary art — people are lost, and they go straight back to the old certainties, believing that ‘art is only about beauty and skill’.</p>
<p>The second reason contemporary art is widely disparaged is that the contemporary artworld itself — including all those thousands of artists, critics, gallerists, gallery goers and theorists– has a very poor understanding of its own principles, and so cannot make a convincing case for what it stands for. Contemporary art theory is a mess, and the general public is deeply sceptical, and perhaps with good reason.</p>
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