I never graduated from college but did have a class in humanities and one in English literature. In each of those classes we studied the works by one artist and the stories by one writer.
In both cases I remember getting into a heated discussion with the instructors over the "intents" of the painter and the writer that my teacher was tellin us. In both cases I could not for the life of me understand their lines of thinking regarding one painting by the artist and a story by the writer. Ultimately I left the class feeling like a complete moron because I just could not get it.
Well after reading this entire thread I have finally gotten it. I'm not the one who was stupid because I couldn't get it, but rather the teachers were the ones who were stupid because all they were doing was echoing the stupid philosophy that they fell hook line and sinker for in order to get along with their fellow elitists........
That the emporer has no clothes would seem to have a lot of validity regarding a lot of modern art.