# If the classical fine arts are marginalized what replaces them as cultural high art?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-classical-fine-arts-are-marginalized-what-replaces-them-as-cultural-high-art/274729>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 14, 2004, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-classical-fine-arts-are-marginalized-what-replaces-them-as-cultural-high-art/274729 "2004-11-14T17:49:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-classical-fine-arts-are-marginalized-what-replaces-them-as-cultural-high-art/274729/1 "2004-11-14T17:49:33Z")

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Per this observation by Wordman in this thread, in response to my questioning the assertion that painting was a dying art form.  
[Is John Currin an important painter?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=286222)

> [@](#):
>
> Dying? Probably not.
> 
> Marginalized to a cult-like set of practitioners and passionate patrons? Probably.
> 
> Don’t you think that is happening with:
> 
> - Poetry
> - Opera
> - Classical Music in general
> - Literature
> 
> etc., etc., etc.? How often is a true genius in one of these arts crossing over and being acknowledge in a standard media forum - let alone being lauded as a cultural influence - compared to how they used to be decades and centuries ago?
> 
> Even as late as the 1960’s, with Pop Art - the debate of the nature of paintings and modern art seemed culturally relevant and important. I don’t see that happening today…

What’s the new “high art”? Are there there really any aspirational high arts anymore? Is the notion of a “high art” being more pure or finer than other expressions a false notion to begin with?

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**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-classical-fine-arts-are-marginalized-what-replaces-them-as-cultural-high-art/274729/2 "2004-11-14T18:56:14Z")

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I wouldn’t put “literature” in there with the others - there’s absolutely still a reading public, and your average college-educated man on the street will recognize the names of many “literate” authors. Not so modern composers, painters, etc, and probably not most modern poets who aren’t taught in public schools (most of whom are not as modern as the novelists Tom, Dick, and Harry might know.)