Whatever the degree of prejudice and variability in everyone's educated taste,critical differentiation must be made -- if not by an active viewer, then by the people who locate something in a prestigious and accessible place to be seen by everyone else.
Gallerists and curators can sometimes be the most active viewers, an extreme example being the art dealer who discovered the paintings of a Chicago school teacher in a dumpster about 40 years ago. In despair over his career as an artist, the artist was throwing them away, but the dealer took them to a show in Italy where they were subsequently discovered by a dealer from Paris who bought every painting the artist ever made for the next 35 years - paintings which now can sell for over $50,000. There are so many kinds of art/music/literature, it would be impossible for anyone to always be an active viewer/listener/reader. But still, the active pursuit of aesthetic pleasure within one of them can be considered a "joy of art" Though, there is no disputing that there is also a joy in conformity - i.e. the self-comforting conceit that one agrees with the judgment of experts. ..................................... >I agree that we should approach any work of art without any prejudice. However critical differentiation comes into play if that work of art is not in a harmony with the nature of person's educated taste. >Besides, the nature of one's educated taste is personal and in a constant state of variability, not set in cement ____________________________________________________________ Hotel Save on hotels. Click here to find and compare hotel deals. http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2231/c?cp=D3YWg-P_pk9aOtWDACrkDgAAJz6c l_zTaptgNR5c8Mer1v9kAAYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATRAAAAAA=
