Art standards

In earlier ages of Western or indigenous culture, art and artists were called to demanding standards and high missions by external social, cultural and religious forces. The Church, royalty, wealthy merchants, mythological drives, for example, all made exceptional demands for the artist to meet.

At the end of the 19^th century, things began to change. The wealthy had money to spend, but they were less and less reliable mediators of taste. The Church had less and less interest in original art as essential. Museums and critics became arbiters of taste, but they were affected by the influences of money. The government was too wishy washy in its arts spending.

Now, in many ways, in contemporary art, it is the task of artists to set their own standards to guide their work. This means artists must negotiate issues of style, social and political concerns, spirituality, integrity, market issues, public awareness and more. As a result, art is more egalitarian and more uncertain of its place in the public arena.