High Vs. Low Culture

When it comes to anything, who decides whether it is of “high” culture or of “low” culture? Why is there this distinction to begin with, specifically in art? Culture is defined by everything that makes up an individual aside from his/her inherent instincts. This includes all of an individual’s beliefs, traditions, and practices. Who is to say that one’s culture is superior to another’s? The designation of high/low culture can be attributed to various factors. Of which, a major contributing factor would be the society in which one lives. It should be safe to say that most, if not all individuals want to be accepted and feel as a part of society. This means that one would have to internalize the values, beliefs, and norms of that society, also known as socialization, in order to function as a member of society. So one’s views on high/low culture is highly dependent on the society in which someone is raised. “High” culture is usually dubbed to the art and practices of the upper and wealthier class of which only a few people belong, compared to the whole of society. The art of the majority, is dubbed popular, “pop” culture and is considered to be “low”. A general observation is that “high culture” has to do with exclusivity and with things that only a select group can do. This explains why higher culture is generally linked to the upper class as only these individuals have access to vasts amounts of money that not everyone can use for leisure. “Low” culture corresponds to the lower classes and to things that are accessible by anyone at anytime. The success of a work of art is entirely dependent on the value society puts on it.

        The three different art forms I viewed for this assignment shed some light as to how society assigns value to different art forms. Figure 3 , the statue of Aphrodite, seems to be of “high” culture as the work of art is exhibited in a museum. It is generally viewed by the upper class nowadays although anyone can go and see it. It was originally created in Ancient Greece for the celebration of the gods and goddesses and of the human body. The audience was the citizens of Greece as this marble statue symbolizes their standard of beauty for the female form. Figure 2, is an online digital media artwork by unknown artist. It is an abstract portrayal of a woman in a black dress. It is hard to place in either “high” or “low” category because without much background, it is hard for people to place it in either category. This difficulty is because the categories are usually determined by what values the society places on the background of the artwork or on the artwork itself. The audience of this work of art might be every person in the world as it was created for the internet. Figure 1, is graffiti done on the side of a building by an unknown artist. It depicts the face of a woman, who I think is of African descent, made up of bits and strips of colorful patches symbolizing her qualities. The red, blue, and white alongside the eagle feathers probably seek to depict her as an American. Considering that graffiti was typically done on other people’s property and was illegal, people might see it with a negative connotation right off the bat. This would lead most people to think of it as “low” culture. The intended audience would be the general population who walk around the neighborhood.

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