High Society

Clement Greenberg wrote an article on the “Avant-Garde and Kitsch”. Clearly defining the difference between high fine art and mass popular art. Lawrence Alloway obviously disagrees and gives very good points as to why mass media is important and shouldn’t be dismissed because of its widespread and easy accessibility. To me, the point that stuck out the most as to why clement Greenberg feels this distinction of fine art must be made is because of his need to maintain a high ground for the “elite”. If everyone were able to gain access to art and its meaning then it would somewhat render his expertise obsolete.

Mass media has the potential to inform you. It has the potential to change the way you see things. With life changing so rapidly, it is a medium that can change just as quick to suit your life and daily needs. Whereas the rigid and strict guidelines of fine art tend to take time and are less current especially in the digital age. However, I do believe there is still a place for fine art. Fine art offers many different viewpoints and values, which can sometimes get lost in our fast paced multi-tasking generation. With our ever-expanding technological age, we need to be able to look to sources that you can’t find in the everyday. The Avant-Garde I believe exists both in the mass media and the fine arts but we have to be really critical of not where it comes from but of its content to teach and inform us.