The oldest Altered Equine Portrait at Lascaux (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lascaux) photo and alteration by: Ken Gradomski

I recently read an article about the Fluxus Art Movement which introduced a Dada-like form of performance and ‘happening’ in the 1960’s to Post Modern and Contemporary Art. Post Modernity arrived just before it and is considered by most Art Historians to have begun in approximately 1952 with the advent of Pop Art and Op Art onto the American Art Scene.  Conceptualism, or the stance that says, ‘Art is only and all about ideas,’ laid the foundation to what has become a culture obsessed with wealth, performance and celebrity. Fluxus, from the Latin, meaning ‘to flow,’ created a bubbling stew of artistic disciplines mixed together with a final emphasis on performance. Acting Class and Film Class attendance have geometrically increased since then, not surprisingly… Locally, in Ashtabula, Ohio, a small-town radio station and then an elementary school recently set up ‘American Idol’ competitions.. (I rest my case!)Aside from still art used as décor, that is, ‘couch paintings’ obtained from Starving Artist Sales,  (wall-sized video screens are, at the moment, still too expensive for average consumer use,) the desire to collect an actual object of Fine Art is waning. It’s far more important to engage in daily personal dramas with the objective of becoming ‘famous’ in one’s own circle of friends or circle of career accomplishment. That’s not all bad, in and of itself, however, the press for Celebrity and its attendant shower of riches pervades. In my soon to be finished book, Eye-wear for Modern Art, I discuss Critical Art Theories (simply and clearly, I hope). Critical Art Theories answer the question, ‘Why is this made that way?’ I hope that the information I provide may make the reader more easily ‘connect’ to various art forms. So, I’m propounding a new Critical Art Theory that I’ve labeled, ‘Audience.’ This theory describes how audiences share the experience of performances they attend. It proposes a spectrum of experience from the one extreme of sole observation of a television show to the other of attending a rock concert or other performance with a host of others… The measure of ‘good’ is the intensity of the experience and the bonding or commonality that occurs from the sharing of experiences among the attendees. Today, for example,  a conversation is never quite complete without some reference to a movie. Up until about 150 years ago the artist was viewed as an inspired visionary, divine prophet or seer. There was something holy about them, it was thought. Artists were universally revered. Art was far more than mere intellectual, abstract titillation. It was about great feelings as well. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth today when visual art is experienced in our Contemporary world and, because of that fact, I think that something has been irretrievably lost. When was the last time you wondered what was was going on in visual Art? When was the last time you felt the need to purchase some original art or have a work commissioned just for you? When did you purchase even a print of some Art or a poster of some Art? When were you emotionally moved by a work of Art? Well, there’ll be no quiz on this later. My only hope is that this little article may make you pause and think about artists, their role in your life, and Visual Art as a whole.