The Arts

The arts are as subject to trends as fashion. The perceived value of paintings, the new dance company or show to see, the newest must-read book -- all these are subject to the dictators of the art canon, who are as powerful in some sectors as the fashion czars are in theirs.

The debate over the question "What is art?" has raged for centuries among educated people. Is ceramic sculpture a craft or can it be a fine art? Is an untrained artist like Frida Kahlo merely a "folk artist" or can her paintings have merit in the art world? The gallery and museum curators, patrons, and -- to a lesser extent -- university professors dictate what is acceptable.

Are the graphic arts or architecture ever considered "art"? What about Web page design, street theatre, body art? Some people feel that anything that expresses a sense of how things should be arranged are arts, while others want the standards to be more refined.

Who decides such questions sometimes gets worked out over time in a kind of general consensus. Picasso and Van Gogh were not acceptable to the art mavens of their time -- so what made them into important "artists"? In Australia, artists like Ken Done are a huge success and have become part of the culture.

More on Arts and Culture:

Arts and Culture
Culture