38 What do you think of modern art?

Some art critics say the world today lacks both common sense and good judgment. Art has abandoned its traditional role of being pleasing to the senses. Modern artists are merely out to shock, to be sensationalist. There is intense commercialism bound up with this ruthless modernism. I mean, the new type of ’urbane galleries and collectors’ are simply after pieces that are shocking enough to be talked about. This way, mediocre artists are successfully hyped up as the latest Andy Warhol. Also, the prices of these modern paintings are inflated and sometimes even astronomical. Having said that, it may well happen that works of art that seem unnatural, shocking and provocative today will in 20 years be considered safe and conventional. Well, the jury is still out on that one, we’ll see!