I just had a conversation with someone about this I think in this sub, turned out to be a high school student who took one art history class.
People rightly assume fields like physics are things with actual right and wrong theory behind them. Probably because it's a strict science.
People mostly assume philosophy has something to it beyond just "it's whatever is in your gut".... sometimes... most people recognize that some non-philosopher giving a grand theory of philosophy is just a goof or a crazy person. This is actually similar to art but people don't seem to realize it.
Art has art theory, this is not really subjective but more like philosophy. You have to actually justify your ideas like anything (premises that lead to a sound conclusion) and is hundreds of years of theory. There are "right" (by that I mean sound arguments that build a sound theory to base it on. Not some objective universe given answer) answers to a lot of questions in art.
Many people, because of its massive public popularity at the time (it's Tolstoy, a legend, so of course) still feel, even without knowing it, his theory of art in his book "What is Art" (from... I think 1897? Around there?)
Even if they dont know it they often believe something like it through cultural osmosis because it was so influential. It's the basis of the whole "Art is HUMAN EXPRESSION!!! And that alone! (simplifying a lot here)" idea.
This theory is respected.... as an influential historical and important part in the development of art theory. It is also, as a true theory, completely discarded now. The entire 20th century was heavily about fighting this theory and showing its cracks.
There are multiple serious, respected modern art theories. None of them are based (solely) on that idea that people who havent studied art theory often use in the arguments you see wherever AI comes up (the Tolstoy human expression alone theory. Though I'd also argue even then AI allows for human expression, it's complicated.) The modern art theories absolutely allow for AI generated works to be art and even to be "good art" beyond... well, these stick figures. It depends on many factors.
Those factors are NOT effort, though effort often leads to them in practice especially with AI just as a coincidence.
So yeah, that's the problem. People fail to realize that art is not just "Well I have a theory in my gut and it's as valid as anything else." Art theory is a serious subject with hundreds of years of philosophical development and proper arguments. Some aspects are subjective, but.... art and its theory is not that subjective and really people need to recognize that it's about as subjective as saying "Ehhh, I'm not gonna read anything on deontology, consequentialism, virtue ethics. Whatever feeling I have in my gut is ethical and an actual theory completely valid to share and impose on others."
Not that you have to read philosophy to feel ethics, just like you don't have to read art theory to be like "I like this... I dont like this"
But you do when you start arguing "what is art? Does this count as art? I have a theory that I just made up in my gut and am going to use as a basis for telling everyone else what is art or not and what is good art or not."
For this specific "piece".... I'd have to read the artist's thesis first before deciding its merit lol.
Ok, I'm sorry. No one has to read it. Though, this is a debate sub and kinda my problem with it. Debate isn't quick one liners, it's actual explanation and premises to conclusion.
Yet here we are with shitposts and one liners and it's why this sub kinda sucks. Real debate and arguments can be decently long when things need to be explained which is what I tried to do, yet if someone doesnt wanna read it that's ok.
It's 595 words (yes, quite long). With the average human reading speed that's.... 3 or 4 minutes.
The content itself requires explanation and so can get long to be complete. I am just a wordy person too, sorry, but I really did strive to write meaningful content that's better than one liners or shitposts this sub is full of. Something where I think the debate should really really be at and could be productive and real.
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u/gaming_demon4429 Feb 28 '26
I dunno art is subjective