"The question is not about art, but rather about artists and the need for the particular type of ego fulfillment that perceiving oneself as an artist brings. The more exclusive the membership, the greater the ego boost. In this case, the only way to maintain exclusivity is to subscribe to a definition of art that excludes as many people as possible. Sometimes, those who perhaps feel less secure, even in their own self definition, feel obligated to act as protectors of the true faith, aggresively attacking infidels." I've come to this conclusion, too. I don't know why, but some people feel the intense need to define themselves as "artists". They elevate "talent" (which is usually more a combination of practice, natural ability, practice, experience, and practice) to some sort of "touched by the gods" gift, and in order to feel appropriate special and touched by the gods, they have to narrowly and rigidly define what an "artist" is, so that it only applies to them (and sometimes to people exactly like them). A while back I had a much-praised and admired image on another site, and the image was made with Poser (and a TON of postwork). Someone made the comment, "It takes no talent to use Poser." Now, totally aside from the fact that Poser does NOT have a function to add extensive hand-painted postwork and third-party filter effects, I had to wonder about that statement. So what if it takes "no talent" to get a very interesting and admired image out of Poser. You mean that people "without talent" might be able to make good images?! OH NO! The world is ending! (i.e., people who think they have "talent" are threatened by those "without" it) I think that some people's only great "claim to fame" is that they can draw (or something else artistic). When you've got such a fragile self-image and you take your natural abilties as some sort of defining quality that sets you apart from everyone else and makes you better, well, anything that threatens your unique "talent" will upset you pretty badly. ;-) I don't care if I make "art" or not. "Art" doesn't pay my bills. End results DO. bonni

"When a man gives his opinion, he's a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she's a bitch." - Bette Davis