Theories on Great Art

Now that's great art: The ordinary and extraordinary



Laura C. Mandell's Theory of literary art. The novel emerged in the 18th century, and the short story came about in 1800. However, the problem with literature and digital media is that now people are saying there is no more great art. The study of "great art" has been replaced by cultural studies, yet we still "worship the great art" of the alienated majesty that is in great art. For example, we project ourselves onto great art, giving credit to these artists and not to ourselves. The problem here is that we leave the great art to the past, without motivation or desire to continue art into the present. We are all artists, but we neglect our inner artists in refusing to consume it.

For example, right now, The Twilight Saga Series, which just came out (2005-2008), is one of the greatest works of pop culture and one of the greatest works of art in my opinion. This series was written by a middle-aged mother of three, an English Literature major who had a dream and wrote down her story. She is now one of the most popular best selling authors of the decade, comparable by many to J.K. Rowling. She's an amateur writer, and her works are by no account classics, but it's an easy read, easily to relate to by many generations, and is terrifically enthralling.

Like this example, as well as the Stand By Me worldwide song we listened to on YouTube, all ordinary people are artists. Instead of wanting to know what the great works of art are, we should dedicate the time, thinking and efforts, we can determine the great works of art for ourselves. Attention is a limited commodity so we want only the classics, only the greats and only the compact versions. However, now there's not enough left open. Now, we need to consider the possibility of considering everything great art, and deciding on our own.

"This painting has nothing to say to me became I have nothing to say to this painting, and i desperately wanted to speak." By saying that a piece of art is bad, without reason, without understanding, it is the same as criticizing the French for not speaking English. We need to be more open to understanding art, and all languages, especially of art.