Hi Matthew, thanks for reading & responding. I think between your work as a software engineer and artist, you’re able to view modern art from a unique perspective, which explains why you don’t maybe like it but also aren’t upset by it. Both abstraction and art making are familiar to you.

Which ultimately, is kind of my point at the end — the goal should be about whether we like or gain value or insight from art. But a lot of people hate modern art simply because they don’t feel any familiarity with it and because it can, I think, represent some of our unpursued passions or a lack of creativity in our own lives.

I don’t personally hate modern art either. I likely have more interest and knowledge about art and ArtH than the average visitor does, but I like to think about encountering exhibits and artworks from other perspectives than my own — partially because I wasn’t born an art historian, I learned to love it as I learned about it.

One of my favorite things about ArtH is not the elite academic-only insiders club it can often feel like, but instead how it helps me connect more to other cultures, people, and time periods. I think modern art presents a particular challenge because it is often abstract or minimalist, and so it’s typically harder to appreciate at first glance/encounter.

I thought that some of the questions in my post might be a clue as to why some people struggle with it. I’ve certainly felt similar things when it comes to writing or performing, and those feelings are usually strongest when I’m not currently practicing or pursuing those endeavors in any way.