Is art in the eye of the beholder, or is some of what we call "art" just pretentious garbage?

Yes and yes. In that order. I do think that art is in the eye of the beholder.

Some people look at art and appreciate it either because they like it or because they have learned about art through schooling. Or perhaps they are artists themselves and have an appreciation for parts of art that others do not. At the same time, I do think that some art can be considered pretentious garbage.

Art created just to make people upset comes to mind, like the Piss Christ exhibit (usc.edu/schools/annenberg/asc/projects/c...). I mean honestly, how much talent does it take to pee in a cup and put in a crucifix. Not a whole bunch in my opinion.

If peeing in a cup were some kind of art form, then there are many many artists out there. Heck, I can create that art every time I have a glass of water. I'm sure someone has defended the exhibit.

I didn't bother looking up any criticism on the piece - mostly because I'm not interested. I've met an artist or two or many that just think they are too weird for average people to understand. These people tend to congregate around colleges.

Their own delusions of grandeur place them above others and therefore their art too esoteric for commoners to understand. That is pretentious behavior at its finest.

Art is definately in the eye of the beholder. One of my favorite paintings is Faces of Death by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Most people look at it and just see dead bodies I feel it represents the time period and the tones and colors of paint detail the renaissance of the time.

I also like Dali and others just see optical illusions. And of course only mom & dad could love a five year olds first scribbles.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.