The “Arts” for lack of a better word

For the lack of a better word all I can think of is the word “arts”. I hate this word because it symbolizes a form of aesthetic “art” something for the rich to buy and admire and devalues skill. I often find myself looking to see how the “arts” are being promoted, who is involved and what sorts of media are popular. What is considered to be “art” is actually a very large and often abstract but recently it seems as though art tends to be more just painting. Over the years utilitarian “art” have been on the decline as people are more attracted to the machine made white porcelain manufactured pottery a most of which is produced cheaply. This in my opinion cannot be considered “art” and is just junk. Anything that is mass produced in a mold, by hand or machine is junk. “Art” needs its own character its own individual personality. I find it sad that even paintings have become mass produced. I know artists who photograph their paintings, print them on watercolor paper and sell them in shrink wrap as prints. Sure the argument is there to make art more available to the masses but where does this process of mass production end? How can these prints be authenticated? How can their individual character flourish? I do see that this manufactured white porcelain tableware to be uglier than ever abut incredibly popular among the English and the Chinese. They claim that food placed in these dishes show up better but there is still no individual personality in the dishes. I do believe that one day our skills as hand craftspersons skilled in ceramics will eventually make a come back.

Tags: arts