Art in its simplest form is a creative expression that uses imagination to connect with people, most commonly displaying beauty or tragedy. The recent introduction of modern art has stirred up controversy within the art community, and I feel that some of the abstract art being created doesn’t deserve the attention it’s receiving.

Art is more than shapes and colors. It’s creating a feeling not easily described through personal expression. I don’t believe that simply painting singular colors or shapes truly reflects the artist’s emotions. As someone who has attempted art, I know that you have to tune into your emotions and block everything out for your desired outcome. I feel as though there isn’t much work that goes into painting a circle on a background without any depth.

The dislike for the modern art style has become prevalent in the public recently as well. A small TikTok trend I have come across has shown videos of people at art museums “standing next to art pieces they think they would be able to create.” These videos display the depreciation of modern art as a whole, as they believe these artists aren’t using enough creative expression. In these new art styles, we have lost a lot of creative techniques and connections with people through art, which is what makes art so important. Without art being able to connect to others, can it even be considered art at all?

Another concerning factor of this new style is the amount the art is being sold for. An artist named Mark Rothko sold his painting titled “Violet, Green and Red” for 186 million dollars. This is a vertical painting that has a violet color at the top of the canvas, a green color in the middle, and a red color at the bottom. While I don’t fully understand the meaning behind this painting, it’s not the painting itself that I am upset with; it’s the amount of money. It begs the question: are these paintings solely getting so much attention due to the artist’s reputation? I think this is seen with Mark Rothko, as he built up his name throughout the 1900s, so now his paintings are worth so much merely due to his name’s familiarity in the art community.

I believe that this new style of art is creating a bad name for the art community as a whole. This new art being created doesn’t show skill; some of the art being created looks flat and lacks depth. This is discrediting actual artists who are using these skills in their art, as with the popularity of modern art, museums aren’t showcasing the art that I think shows actual skill and connects with the audience. I think that modern art needs to go, and art should revert to showing skills, techniques, and expression.

Exclusively labeling art as abstract is a disappointing wall to hide behind. Art should showcase skill and creativity. I don’t think that artists with the style of modern art have been showcasing that in an honorable way within the art community.