Unfortunately,

Art History as a discipline has a long history of academic elitism, gatekeeping, and classism, but to dismiss the idea of art as a tool for reform and humanity and personal growth is to give up on progress entirely. Study after study shows the ways in which engagement with the arts as a child can make for a more fulfilled, connected, and well-rounded individual, so why is it that art is reserved as a luxury for the privileged?

There is a rich and complex history of art beyond the western, academic art canon, and now more than ever, there is a need for access to these narratives. There is a shift in the way museums, galleries, and artists function in the world. Instead of imposing their status as arbiters of high culture onto their audiences, art institutions are acting in service of their communities and providing a platform for social and political discourse and organizational efforts to create structural change (at least they say they are).

There is also a shift in the ways in which digital media engages with these art spaces. It now functions beyond a platform for advertising. It has become a medium of its own, and it provides an opportunity for the true democratization of the art world. From mass aestheticization to virality to meme culture and “corecore”, our understanding of art and culture is evolving. It is important to give people the tools to analyze and appreciate the legacies of our visual world, so that we may be more deliberate about the way we want humanity to look. 

Anyway, here are some art analyses. I’ll be linking some of my favorite art history creators here soon.