Monday, August 10, 2009

Modern art and artists

John Stossel looks at modern art.

 Do people really know what's art and what's just stuff?

The Christian Science Monitor looks at 8 myths about art, like:

This work generated so much discussion, it must be good!

Anyone could do that.

Maybe you should have tried. A few years ago we ran a test.

We showed four reproductions of art works that are considered masterpieces along with six pieces that will never make it into any museum. We asked viewers to decide which work was art. You can take the test yourself here.

Four of the art works were done by 4-year-olds. Yet the kids' work ranked ahead of most of the masters.

I assumed real artists wouldn't fall for the trick, so we invited some to take our test. Most also put the kids' work up there with the masters.

One artist, Victor Acevedo, described one of the children's pieces as "a competent execution of abstract expressionism which was first made famous by de Kooning and Jackson Pollock and others. So it's emulating that style and it's a school of art."

When I told him the work was finger-painting by a 4-year-old he said, "That's amazing. Give that kid a show."

So can anybody explain to me why people spend millions on abstract art when 4-year-olds can fool them?

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