During my Latin American arts and culture class I took freshman spring, one of the most memorable discussions we had was regarding the divide between what is considered “high-art” versus “low-art.” High art is said to be cultivated by those with taste, often exclusive in access and refined. Low art is considered accessible to the masses and easily understood. An interesting perspective is whether or not art museums are pushing a narrative that art needs to meet certain standards in order to be included in collections, whereas things like graffiti and public art are often not considered good enough to be regarded as “true art” by museums and institutions. It wasn’t until Haring made his art so public that general consumers of art started to step back and wonder if there was something to be said about art being accessible and still being beautiful. I think, as people interested in art, creativity, and design, that we foster an academic discourse for understanding the context of how we are valuing art in society.
Websites:
https://www.kcet.org/history-society/street-art-high-or-low-art-form
S21 DSGN 264-402 