What exactly is `contemporary art'?

From: Chicago Sun-Times | Date: June 16, 1996| Author: Garrett Holg | Copyright information
Contemporary art has always proved troublesome.

It seldom seems to fulfill traditional standards of beauty. Often it incorporates everyday materials or items, like aspirin and soap, discarded stuffed animal toys, or even a dead sheep floating in formaldehyde.

It frequently betrays an insider's kind of arrogance - an elitist's "If you don't get it, tough, I'm in the know and you're not" attitude.

Contemporary art is often about itself - either so obviously so it's embar...

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