Rodrguez, Mara Victoria Group B English Language IV 2012

ighting the !o""odi#ication o# $rt $s %e all &no%, capitalis" is a s'ste" that a##ects and deter"ines al"ost e(er' aspect o# hu"an li#e) $s a result, it has *rought a*out pro#ound shi#ts in ho% %e (ie% di(erse cultural e+pressions #ro" its *eginning) ,ot onl' #ashion constitutes a #ull'-#ledged *usiness, *ut also (isual arts ha(e *een a##ected *' #ri(olous and sel#ish e##orts to "a&e "one' hand o(er #ist on the part o# a #e% rich people %ho run "a.or corporations) $ singular e+a"ple is that o# /a"ien 0irst, a %orld-%ide &no%n British conceptual artist %ho is regarded as the %orld1s richest li(ing art creator) 0irst introduced contro(ersial ideas to the art #ield %hen he characterised "useu"s as 2dust-gathering3 places and sold his %or&s in auctions to pri(ate *idders at e+traordinaril' high prices) 4his suggests a clear change a*out the concept o# art, since he is considering his art%or&s as co""odities) 5hen people percei(e %or&s o# art as "ere co""ercial products, sel#-e+pression and its encourage"ent in the %hole societ' through artistic disciplines are *eing deli*eratel' neglected) In the #irst place, the (alue o# art lies in the #act that it is pri"aril' concei(ed as a "eans #or artists to e+press the"sel(es #reel') Most artists ha(e de(oted their li(es to the search o# no(el techni6ues in order to co""unicate their inner realit' as %ell as the o*.ecti(e realit' that surrounds the") $rt creators are thought to o*ser(e societ' #ro" a special place, *oth distant and also close to the co""unit' the' li(e in at the sa"e ti"e) $"ong the "ost e+e"pli#'ing cases, rida 7ahlo de(eloped a (er' uni6ue perspecti(e to portra' ho% she sa% the %orld) In so"e paintings, she con(e'ed the "iser' that she had to deal %ith throughout her li#e, and, in others, she contrasted the incipient $"erican industrialis" and her Me+ican indigenous and nature-centred roots %ith di(erse s'"*ols) 4he point is that, %hen %e #ail to consider the i"portance o# art%or&s *e'ond their "onetar' (alue, %e "iss to interpret the creator8s "essage, %hich should *e the &e' goal o# an' artistic endea(our) In the second place, selling paintings directl' to pri(ate *u'ers pre(ents "useu"s and galleries to access to those cultural ite"s, and conse6uentl', the %hole co""unit' is depri(ed #ro" their *ene#its) 4his attitude illustrated *' 0irst8s unreasona*l' priced art%or&s hinders the #ree #lo% o# culture, since it %or&s against

currentl' gro%ing trends o# colla*oration and &no%ledge-sharing) !lich9 as it "a' sound, &no%ledge is po%er: thus, i# "an' people are denied the opportunit' to reach that &no%ledge, %e are #ailing to de#end the "ain de"ocratic (alues that should *uild up our societ') Moreo(er, i# art%or&s are no longer displa'ed at "useu"s and galleries, education %ill *e deepl' a##ected) E+posure to artistic disciplines and e+pressions is (ital #or students, as art encourages creati(it', lateral thin&ing and a tolerant and s'"pathetic attitude, according to education e+pert 7en Ro*inson and art specialist Mar' $nn /eVlieg) 0ence, this is one o# the "ain reasons %e should a(oid the concentration o# %or&s o# art in a #e% pri(ate *u'ers that %ill not share the" %ith the co""unit') ;o"e people "a' argue that artists should see& the highest prices possi*le #or their %or&s, since the "onetar' re%ard "a' *e considered a sti"ulus #or creati(it' and inno(ation) 4he' "a' *e in #a(our o# a 2pri(ate use3 o# the art%or&s instead o# sho%ing the" at places that are (isited *' (er' #e% people) ,e(ertheless, artists that consider art as a "ere "eans o# a"assing a #ortune are clearl' losing #ocus as regards art8s true (alue) $s /eVlieg stated in her 4E/ tal&, the genuine tas& o# artists is to put 2ideas, i"ages, and concepts together in ne% %a's, sti"ulating ne% associations *et%een the"3: conse6uentl', pro(o&ing the pu*lic to thin& and see #ro" another perspecti(e) urther"ore, i# "useu"s are hardl' (isited, %hat %e all should do is #oster interest and curiosit' regarding arts a"ong the co""unit') 4a&ing e(er'thing into consideration, the pu*lic should not *e denied the access to an' &ind o# art, as our tas& is to consolidate a de"ocratic societ') 4o this end, it is #unda"ental that education is pro"oted and it is undenia*le that art is a great pillar o# an integral education) 5e should encourage, thus, the sharing o# artistic &no%ledge, instead o# allo%ing the co""ercial (alue set *' the art *usiness to surpass the aesthetic, "oral, e"otional and cogniti(e (alue o# a %or& o# art)

I chose the outline based on deductive argument in order to achieve a strong case founded in solid premises. The intention was to reach a strong conclusion that derived from the premises, once the arguments of other side were considered and refuted. Word count: 723