Thank you, Eric. I haven't read Dutton's book, but found some descriptions and reviews on line. His notion that our appreciation of art stems from our cave-dwelling ancestors is interesting.
I've long been skeptical of academics, and their notion that artists are godlike creatures that have something we 'common folk' don't have. That kind of snobbery makes my blood boil. So Dutton's ideas have some appeal for me!
I prefer to maintain my personal definition of art close to heart: I see, I react, I express how I feel about it, I share with others. Isn't that what we're trying to do in this thread? Maybe. Room for discussion I think
