UCLA Aesthetics and Money Discussion

Topic

This week we discussed “Aesthetics and Money,” beginning with a look at child prodigies as one example of how the art market assigns value. Many people assume that if an artwork is in a museum or costs a lot of money it must be good –– because experts, publications, and investors support the premise. Other people suspect that “fine art” is either a scam or system that intentionally excludes them –– and some contemporary artists agree with these criticisms. What do you think? Is artistic value real or is made up in people’s minds? Is it “natural” or “learned”? Or both? Write a few sentences expressing your opinion or relating an experience you have observed.