The Most Important Artist of the Century [new The Good Life column]

The opening of my latest column at EveryJoe:

“A survey asked our generation’s leading artists and critics to identify the most influential artist of the twentieth century. Who won? If you guessed Pablo Picasso — nice try, but he came in second.

“Before identifying the survey’s winner, let’s ask why it matters who topped the list.

“Any generation’s top artists and critics have much cultural power. They decide what kind of art we will experience for the rest of our lives. They make the art and display it to us. They tell us what it means and what we should try to experience. Some sit on committees that make grants and awards to encourage the kind of art that they think is most worthy. Their judgments allocate prestigious gallery and museum space and influence who commands the big money at art auctions. Many are also professors of art who shape the thinking of students who will go on to become the critics, designers, and artists who will shape our aesthetic for decades to come.

“So their pronouncements about which artists we should most learn from are of great cultural significance.

“And the survey’s winner is …” [Read more here.]

Last week’s column: Do We Really Live in a World of Scarce Resources?