Prager U: Why is Modern Art so Bad?

[VIDEO] The vid above is from Prager U featuring Robert Florczak who seems to bemoan the lack of artistic standards. He's attempting to describe the whimsical aspects of modern art where he says art has been reduced to personal expression as opposed to the universal standards of quality. He also introduces the term of artistic relativism, which means I can create art that is relevant even if it's not that good!

Before I get to my thoughts on going to art museums in the past some thoughts on this video. I have little issue with this idea of art as personal expression. Perhaps good art can provoke and yes there are artwork out there that offends and makes it memorable for sure though is it good art and could it stand the test of time. And he makes the final point about if people don't want to buy certain pieces of art thus eventually they'll stop making the art that isn't making money.

Meanwhile...

It's been a number of years since visiting an art museum. My first visits was to Chicago's Art Institute for a humanities class when I attended Harold Washington College. It was a cool visit to see artwork that probably would only been seen in a textbook. My favorites where Nighthawks by Edward Hopper, Lineman by Ivan Alrbight, and Cabin in the cotton by Horace Pippin.

A few years later I got an easy A from an art survey class at Morehouse. I visited two Atlanta, Georgia museums during that time the High Museum and the Apex. My professor's academic interest was more or less in African or Black American art, our research project was on the Harlem Renaissance and it wasn't even demanding. Our research paper was expected to be far short of the 8-10 pages expected for an average college research paper.

At the time at the High Museum he wanted us to check out Egyptian artifacts. My observation of that exhibit was that the ancient Egyptians were very obsessed with death. The mummification, the afterlife, the trinkets left with the mummies as they entered the afterlife, it clashed perhaps with our culture of life. For the most part in America we're not that obsessed with death to the point I believed the Egyptians were. I'm sure there were other exhibits of interest there, however, they weren't of note because I barely remember them. Perhaps it's time to pay them a visit the next time I'm in the ATL.

The Apex museum had more of an emphasis on Black American art. What I do remember was an odd video presentation featuring a dancer who seemed to go on and on about the history of Sweet Auburn. Auburn evidently was an important thoroughfare in Atlanta for Blacks of it's time. Also to be honest I barely remember my time at this museum other than that presentation. At the time a young woman who was at the register was asking me questions about what I saw on that visit. She wanted to make sure I learned something on this day. Another place to visit when I return to ATL for a visit.