Which is funny to me, in the "if we don't laugh we'll cry" sense.

Because whenever I go to a museum and look at modern art, abstract art, and so on, I see all sorts of curators notes explaining how this mix of shapes and colors and designs actually has some sort of profound, inspirational, generally leftist or anti-establishment, message.

But people don't see the message or understand the message right away. From a casual look, it's just pleasing colors and shapes. You have to believe it matters and put in the effort to understand it in order to get those inspirational messages.

In other words: if you oppose the establishment, and you are looking for modern art that opposes the establishment, you will find it. But if you're an average person that anti-establishment message will mean nothing to you. You won't even think to look for it.

So it's not that modern art doesn't contain left or progressive ideologies. It's worse. Because it does contain left and progressive ideologies in a self censored form. All the power and energy of these left and progressive artists has been captured by the establishment and harmlessly redirected into pursuits that "support" left and progressive causes but pose no threat to the powers that be.

And I'm thinking more and more this makes it bad art.

Think about advertisements. If someone in a car looks out and sees a billboard passing, they should understand, in the few seconds they see that billboard, what product it's advertising and why they should buy that product. A billboard that doesn't get those two points across in a matter of seconds has failed at being a billboard.

And a piece of visual art that doesn't get those same two messages across in a matter of seconds - what message it's sending and why you should care - has failed at being visual art.

Edit: whether you agree with the message or not, this is art with an incredibly clear message - and the attempt at government censorship made it even clearer -https://slrpnk.net/post/27304084

you gotta see Pollocks in person. photos don't do them justice