That Painting Is Not on Trial

Traditionally, art was approached with disinterest—not a lack of interest, not ‘un-interest,’ but disinterest. The opposite approach, today’s approach, is self-interest. Art is now meant to serve the self. We judge art, not according to its meaning, but according to its message—if we agree with or how effective we find its call to social action. But is self-interest a reliable guide to what’s good in art? Is art ever really ‘at our service?’

I’m reminded of a fable from the Louvre in Paris, where one of its curators, a man of great appreciation of fine art, overheard two men discussing the merits of a particular masterpiece hanging in the museum hallway. One of those visitors turned to the other and said, “I don’t think much of this painting.” The curator, standing nearby kindly interrupted: “Dear sir, that painting is not on trial; you are. The universe has already assessed its value; you only demonstrate the deficiency of your system of measuring.”

Transcendent beauty and meaning aren’t on trial; we are, and it’s our more immanent systems of measurement (self-interest) that's failing us.