COUNTERPUNCH LETTERS : Does Art Suffer From the ‘Arrogant Gurus’?

Regarding Ernest Fleischmann’s article, “Arts Are at the Nation’s Soul” (Calendar, Feb. 20): From time immemorial, art flourished when it was supported and languished when not. The support came from the wealthy patrons, the church, the monarchy, the feudal lords, from Pericles, from the Medicis, from the rich literati and so on. All but for a price. The art had to please the donors, the sponsors, the mentors. When not, the cornucopia dried up.

Now, in modern societies, we have a new kind of patronage, the educated public that insists on getting its tax dollar’s worth. We will refuse to buy the trash (the Bruce Nauman exhibit at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art), the junky sculptures in urban spaces, the cacophonic music under the baton of cocky conductors, outer space, budget-buster civic architecture (Disney Concert Hall) that they try to foist on to us as public art today.

And that is the way it’s going to be until the arrogant gurus of the so-called Art Establishments change their way of pushing their political agenda on us and let true art express itself and the community that it is supposed to represent. Then and only then should the National Endowment for the Arts resume grants to artistic endeavors in L.A.!

It is the same for public-supported TV (KCET) and radio too.

GEORGE KEMENES

Los Angeles