Dewey has a skeptical view of the industrialization of art, with good reason. He states that artists are not meant to produce on demand, and that the mechanization of art pushes individualism and other unique traits to the side. However, he does include that this pressure pushes some artists to become more individualistic, which cannot be a bad thing.
"Because of changes in industrial conditions the artist has been pushed to one side form the main streams of active interest. Industry has been mechanized and an artist cannot work mechanically for mass productions...A peculiar esthetic 'individualism' results. Artist find it incumbent upon them to betake themselves to their work as an isolated means of 'self expression'...Consequently artistic products take on to a still greater degree the air of something independent and esoteric" (Dewey, 299).
Dewey makes an interesting point here, that perhaps the industrialization of art causes artists to become so wrapped up in their individuality, that their works can convey less and less meaning to the average viewer. Nevertheless, Dewey frowns upon such mass production; I think he would be somewhat skeptical of the pop culture of art today, especially music. For as many artists that can be heard all over the country, on every radio station, there are genres and composers that apply to a very few select group of people.
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