In the past, art has been accepted if it fulfilled the requirement of looking pretty, being aesthetic. But with our changing ideas about consumerism, this art can easily become just another commodity. Making beautiful objects for the sake of making, could become less and less popular.

It has only been recently that artists themselves, have become aware of the extreme toxicity of the chemicals they use. Rabbit skin sizing to prepare canvas is something I wouldn't even consider buying, though it sits on the shelf as the best preparation to date.

So, I'm trying to be more critical of what I paint.. there is a danger in becoming too self-conscious as Albright says. But unless I think it's something important and worthwhile for me to communicate, I'm going to try to quit making 'objets d'arts'.
 

"In the doodles of persons whose attention is absorbed by other tasks, the predominance of the perceptual tendency to well balanced, regular forms often leads to decorative, but otherwise empty patterns." (149)
Rudolf Arnheim




Driving by a commercial gallery the other day, I was shocked to see what looked like wall or floor tiles in the window. They were reputable dealers, and I couldn't imagine that they had gone out of business. After slowing down to check it out, I chuckled to think how many people would be going in looking for their new bathroom or kitchen tile.




149. Rudolf Arnheim, Toward a Psychology of Art, (Berkeley and L.A., Cal., University of California Press, 1966), p. 47