The colossal arrogance of modern art

The Renaissance tradition of art was considered “repugnant” and a “ghastly mistake” by Braque and Picasso. What colossal arrogance. Soon other artists were banishing color and form, and then art became purely abstract. These artists sensed an opportunity to advance themselves, and I emphasize themselves, and art dealers on the edge, various hucksters, and art critics were happy to follow them for the same largely selfish reasons, and sticking it to the “establishment” was part of the deal.

Society needs to be allowed to tell the difference between social and anti-social art, just as it needs to be able to judge anti-social criminals and non-criminals. It has been suggested that Chimpanzee's create “art” mainly out of the joy of disruption, they are not interested in the art later. Modern art is on that same continuum.

Creativity is of course good, invention is good, but human survival still greatly depends on the culture it possesses. The cross-cultural center for all cultures remains human nature, which remains essentially the same as when it was developed during the million or so years of the Pleistocene. Group selection remains the primary unit of selection and individual selection follows after. In general creativity and change need to be evolutionary not revolutionary.  It is the affirmation of what is held sacred by humans that has defined high art throughout human history, and it desperately needs to again.