💥Is everything art now—or have we simply stopped trying?

I consider myself a true lover of art. I cherish the way it can transcend words, stir emotion, challenge power, and tell stories no textbook ever could. Art can be beautiful, raw, bold, unsettling. At its best, it forces us to see the world differently.

But lately, it feels like the art world has abandoned standards altogether. A mop in a corner? Art. Someone mumbling in a dark room for six hours? Art. A scuffed sneaker on a pedestal? Apparently, that's art too. It's almost as if the more nonsensical or effortless something is, the more "meaning" we're told it must have—if only we were enlightened enough to get it.

Honestly, I'm tired of pretending that everything has deep philosophical value just because it's in a gallery or endorsed by a critic. When did artistic expression become a get-out-of-effort-free card? There's a difference between challenging the status quo and hiding behind ambiguity.

Art should provoke, yes. But it should also reflect intent, craftsmanship, thought. If anything can be art, then maybe nothing really is.

I'm not asking for a return to rigid rules or old-fashioned gatekeeping. But when we blur the line between lazy and visionary, we don't expand our definition of art—we strip it of meaning. We replace awe with apathy.

And frankly, the artists who are still pouring their soul, time, and talent into their work deserve better than to be lumped in with a half-hearted concept scribbled on a napkin.

🔥 This is a Flash Grenade.
Anonymous. Unfiltered. Personal. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not reflect the official stance of ART Walkway.

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