High Art

I am constantly amazed by the amount of people within the art community that think the world begins and ends at their feet.  The aristocracy of fine art that live in a haze of pot and Patchouli while judging any art that’s not their own with an iron fist.  The thirty-five year old adolescents that would live out their grandiose dreams of being the next Picasso if only they could find the time.  

I am and have always been an advocate of fine art, art education, and even art criticism, but it seems like lately every time I show my face at an art opening I hear hordes of art snobs talking under their breath about whatever work seems to be hanging on the gallery walls.  Maybe art has always had this air of arrogance surrounding it and I’ve just been blind to it, but even if that is the case shouldn’t artist as well as the people that frequent galleries leave the criticism to the critics?  I don’t mean that artist or patrons shouldn’t have opinions.  I think art should be experienced by the masses because good art transcends  opinion.  

Having worked within the film industry I’d love to see a day when the world of fine art embraces commercialism.  I’ve been to dozens of film festivals and love the excitement emanating from the crowd in anticipation of seeing something new.  The possibility that maybe, just maybe when the lights go out in the theater something life-changing might grace the screen.  That’s what I’d like to see at an art opening.  Not groups of disgruntled artists wondering why it’s not them on the gallery wall, but groups of artists and patrons hoping to see something life-altering, something that could open the door for others, something inspireing.   

Contrary to popular belief commercialism and fine art can become very successful bedfellows.  Artists like David Lynch, Andy Warhol, and Bob Dylan are proof that fine art can be commercial and still be art.