Arts in modern America

Artists, cultural organizations and the universities an primary schools have the obligation to put art more to the forefront. Instead of 30 years of badmouthing Western culture—

RB: [laughs]

CP: And trashing it—I am for multi-culturalism—it’s about the great artistic traditions of the world, whether it’s Chinese culture, Hindi, whatever it is we are tracing in terms of history, chronology—chronology is out—value, greatness, quality. My god, Japanese culture, Chinese culture, high culture. That was about quality. But the idea of quality has been divorced in the discussion of the arts in our universities because, “Oh it’s just a mask for ideology. There is no such thing as greatness. These are all completely subjective. For people who want to protect their own power elite—dead white European males.” This is the garbage that has come out. I can see the point of where the argument started, OK. But what’s the end result of it? We are now 30 years, almost 40 years down the line. What’s the end result? Are we getting better art? Better writing? Better educated people? More knowledgeable people?

Camille Paglia interview.

via Colby Cosh.