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Comment by avs733 | Hacker News Reader

My read on this has always been that most of the negative commentary around 'art' falls into one of two categories. Neither of which is utterly dismissive of the value of art and/or culture. However, I'm not sure they are made all that explicitly.

1) Criticism of the art industry and it's role in the commoditization and market making you mention around art. That isn't criticism of art or it's value...it's criticism that such value is often interfered with for, among other things, money laundering.

2) Criticism of specific pieces of art that an individual doesn't 'get' (and by golly I fall into this trap). By get, it really is about they don't see the artistic or cultural value of that piece but typically is done in reference, which implies that they do see some art as having value.

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Here's a 20 minute art discussion about the intricacies of the Banana taped on the wall.

So yeah count me in on the second group.

https://news.artnet.com/the-art-angle/art-angle-podcast-bana...

Not gonna bother with yet another unedited podcast. But I get the banana. The title of the piece is "Comedian", and I'm an amateur comedian. Part of it is that when you make a joke, you have to throw it at the wall to see what sticks. And as for art, sometimes the joke's on you.

Without listening to this podcast, I must say I loved everything about the banana: the piece, the context, the actual banana and tape (which somehow managed be even worse than expected), but most of all the slew of criticism, which, if you ask me, is what really makes this piece. It's been a while since I've heard this many people everywhere discuss art, its boundaries, and try to define it. For that alone, I would say it's the most successful work of art in a long time.

I think most people don’t like “statement” art because they inherently understand that it’s much easier to be outrageous than it is to create something of enduring beauty.

What the chain of comments you're replying to is arguing is that art is more than just something that follows some (your) definition of beauty.

And what I’m saying is that most people understand that “more than just something beautiful” is the refuge of people who aren’t capable of making something which is merely beautiful.

I think there is also a segment of people (which I would include myself in) who feel that artwork is the output of a practiced craft person - ie the work should be difficult-to-impossible for the lay person to recreate.

I understand the art world itself does not have this perspective, but I think that is the basis for a lot of the scoffing we see.

I empathize with the 2nd category in particular, there are many attempts at creating an interpretive structure for art that doesn't hit the mark so someone not getting it is half or more caused by the presenting artist.

Criticism of the industry is self evidently fair.

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