Virgil Elliott: Stunts like [Christo's
Gates], and especially the media hype they receive, are responsible in large part for the lack of interest the general public has in anything called "art" these days. It is perfectly reasonable to regard this sort of foolishness with disdain, and the fact that it is done in the name of art reflects badly on art itself.
I completely agree. The "egalitarian" aspect of this kind of nonsense is really obnoxious. It hits more than just artists though. The intellectual target here is not just artists but anybody who is good at anything. By claiming that useless exercises like Christo's stunts are great, they demean not just great art and artists, but greatness everywhere.
--Brian
