ALAN writes:

I would suggest….that Western society today [ 1973 ], deluded into complacency by its technological sophistication and neglectful of the things of the spirit, is in the condition of a blind man tottering precariously on the edge of a cliff:  In such a situation, it is wisdom itself to counsel an immediate halt, then a step backward….

“Great literature is that which over centuries has sustained and elevated….  Such art involves a prodigious effort and concentration on the part of its creator and demands a cultivated response from its audience.  As such it is exclusive, in terms of both those who create it and those who can appreciate it.  It necessarily constitutes a minority culture and is therefore to be detested and feared by most contemporary artists and writers, with their egalitarian aims and allegiance, reinforced by the financial rewards of catering to an undiscriminating mass market…..

— Professor Duncan Williams, “The Liberty of Privacy,” National Review, Dec. 21, 1973, p. 1408

Imagine what he would say if he were here today and could see the extent to which modern Americans have ignored his thoughtful and sensible advice.

— Comments —

John Purdy writes:

Professor Duncan Williams is by and large correct. I am unfamiliar with his writings but based on the quote there are a few further points to be made. He writes: As such it (Art)is exclusive, in terms of both those who create it and those who can appreciate it.  It necessarily constitutes a minority culture and is therefore to be detested and feared…

This is certainly true but the other side of the coin is that a culture which is too exclusive, too much a “minority culture”, is also a problem. Consider the case of American composer Elliott Carter. In my opinion an outstanding composer, truly brilliant but incomprehensible to all but an extremely elite audience, And therefore, in my view, ultimately a dead end.

Much the same thing could be said of James Joyces’ Ulysses – let alone Finnegan’s Wake. Packed with material: there can be no doubt about that but who can read them?

When we speak of an elite culture we have to think in terms of a broad elite: not just anybody but not just people with a degree in musical composition from Harvard or a PhD in Literature. This bifurcation of culture is a central dilemma in the art of our era.

Elite Art, yes – Ultra-Elite No.

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