Is the emphasis of modern art skill or concept?
Actually, the people who “conceived” medieval cathedrals often did build them. There was no division between masons and architects in those days; the architectural profession didn’t even exist, and even the visionary clerics and aristocrat/royals who supported the building of cathedrals had to rely on the experienced masons and their vast platoons of builders and sculptors. Ultimately, the way a cathedral looked depended largely on the skilled people who built and decorated it. So, what’s happening now? Well, it’s not fair to compare contemporary (don’t use the word “modern”) painting and sculpture with architecture, which is still pretty much bound by basic physical — and physics — issues. But your question, “whose art is it?” is exactly what many artists want you to ask, and you need to realize that. Conception vs. execution is an old, old question that art historians like me still wrestle with. Do you not realize that some of the great works of art were probably executed by the as
