[Ebolagirl]

Originally Posted by worldbringer

I understand that art can be anything and art can be simple. A collage of cutouts from a newspaper can be art and a nail glued to a yellow piece of paper can be art. I can out the letter A in Times New Roman on a normal piece of paper and cut it out, and that's art...right?...

I think it makes a certain statement about our culture, both because those numbers are honored as art and also because such art is valued so highly.

If you are trying to make a statement or you have certain intentions behind creating that piece of art (perhaps Dada-istic intentions), then yes, that would be considered art. But, this is all art philosophy, a very fluffy subject, but one I am passionate about because I create "art" on occasion (when I'm not consumed by other things, like building robots, etc.)

And yes, the kind of art we value now-a-days in totally a reflection of our culture. If you look throughout history every time there has been a major cultural change (and even minor cultural changes) the has been a revolution in the types of literature, music, and art produced. One of the most prominant example is the change that occured at the end of the Victorian era into the "Modern" era. Modern art came about and the older styles of painting (landscapes, etc.) became less popular. Artists began experimenting with different mediums. Even the rank of artists in society changed, from highly revered and respected to more outcasted. So yeah, basically art says a lot.