Comments on: What makes art good? http://indessed.com/roscivs/2007/03/02/what-makes-art-good/ a little poison now and then, that makes for pleasant dreams Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:54:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Nathan http://indessed.com/roscivs/2007/03/02/what-makes-art-good/#comment-6 Nathan Sat, 03 Mar 2007 00:36:15 +0000 http://indessed.com/blog/2007/03/02/what-makes-art-good/#comment-6 I think I would add the concept of depth--both depth of execution and depth of culture. If something is well-crafted enough to repay attention to its fine details, I think the result is much "better art". (This is a part of the "skill" category, above, which I think you shortchange somewhat; if anyone can do it, we are unlikely to find something nearly as impressive or interesting. Come to think of it, that speaks to the "rarity" issue as well.) Depth of culture is the number of other things referenced by the work; something with a great number of symbols which reference other touchstones of the culture that produced it (I have in mind the Renaissance paintings of classical or Biblical themes) can have more interest than something without such references, because the artist can draw on those other works and ideas with allusions that he/she need not make explicit. I think I would add the concept of depth–both depth of execution and depth of culture. If something is well-crafted enough to repay attention to its fine details, I think the result is much “better art”. (This is a part of the “skill” category, above, which I think you shortchange somewhat; if anyone can do it, we are unlikely to find something nearly as impressive or interesting. Come to think of it, that speaks to the “rarity” issue as well.)

Depth of culture is the number of other things referenced by the work; something with a great number of symbols which reference other touchstones of the culture that produced it (I have in mind the Renaissance paintings of classical or Biblical themes) can have more interest than something without such references, because the artist can draw on those other works and ideas with allusions that he/she need not make explicit.

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