Because George Will criticizes its not being objectively beautiful like traditional art and not passing his two personal criteria for respectable art, and he feels that it does not deserve any of its status. His standard for reputable art is that it must have two chief characteristics - elitist and aesthetically pleasing, and contemporary art

However, no matter how hard Will fights to protect the replacement of his preferred generation of art

has neither of these qualities. Will feels that art is not meant to be for people of the lower classes; it should be comprehensible only for the upper class. However, postmodernism ‘privileges’ the lower classes with its universally accessible art, and Will condemns the lack of “high serious[ness]” in contemporary art. In addition, he believes that all superior art must focus on being artistically and visually outstanding rather than on forcing viewers to question society’s function. This requirement of fine art stems from the obligation of connoisseurs to assume “that excellence in art can be defined and identified by scholarly judgments that are more than political acts or manifestations of cultural biases.” Will feels that a connoisseur, one who has respectable judgement concerning art and appreciation for it, forms opinions based on characteristics that “transcend” those relating to politics and culture - beauty and exquisiteness. Therefore, in order to be fine, art must have qualities of great beauty and must not have qualities relating to politics and culture. However, postmodernism concentrates more on the workings of society and is democratic and thought provoking, and George Will criticizes contemporary art’s consequent inferiority to traditional art. Will feels that postmodernism evidently is unworthy of its support and popularity.

Will says that traditional is the only style of art worthy of great popularity as art of the present, not only because it has good qualities, but also because it has gone beyond being “of the moment” to surviving the test of time. Will feels that if a style of art is still popular long after its creation, it is timeless and has passed the test of time. Therefore, postmodernism does not pass the test of time because it is too current, like any style that is contemporary art, and traditional art has survived the test of time, because it is still popular long after its time period. However, George Will fails to realize how his test of time is really conducted. Though art does have different styles that come in the form of current trends, art also has styles that come in the form of historical trends, which Will mistakes for timeless art. Any style of art that is “o

Some topics in this essay:
Damien Hirst, , George Will’s, Mona Lisa, Lisa Plexi, traditional art, mona lisa, Mike Starns, Mona Lisas, style art, art popular, contemporary art, piece art, art style, art qualities, “of moment”, pass test, original mona lisa, beyond “of moment”, art styles form, “of moment” surviving, moment” surviving test,