aesthetics

[wufwugy]

I THINK I'VE FOUND OUR DIFFERENCE!

edit: please define each. i'm thinking my focus is heavily on a metaphysical kind of conception of what, if anything, "quality" is (which is what i'm inferring from your use of "value") and your focus is on how well the artist does (insert your definition of artistic merit here)

Value means anything. Artistic merit is how well the material does what it sets out to do while being compared to contemporary material and within certain purposes. That sounds complicated, but what it means that you can't create something meant to distract and call it good art because it distracts super well. Art has always been about stuff that enchants and makes you think about things differently.

IMO a big reason why we even question this is because we're so inundated with art and entertainment in our culture that we have replaced the appreciation for art with superficial sensory stimuli and opinions therein. The telling of stories by professionals use to be a big fucking deal, but now we see it everywhere and anywhere that people confuse themselves into thinking that whatever they happen to enjoy is good. So then when somebody else (like me) comes along and points out any of the flaws that shouldn't fly according to aesthetic sensibilities, they say "it's all subjective man!"