On 25 Jun 2004 21:09:00 GMT, in rec.audio.opinion you wrote:

From my perspective, the examples you are giving have to do with the
*performance* of art, not the art itself. Of course, one could probably set up
objective standards for the level of expertise exhibited in *performing a piece
of music" (or presumably, but less concretely or definitively of reproducing a
landscape or model by an artist). For example, when various competitions are
held for piano soloists by various classical music organizations, one can
assume the judges apply a set of standards to it. I'm not sure whether the
same type of procedure occurs with paintins. At any rate, I would basically
consider the creation of a work of music or a painting or other art form to be
subjective, since it involves the creative process. However, the performance
might well be judged via various objective criteria.

And even *these* "objective criteia" can shift with time, mood,
cultural bias, etc. Some art which was judged a certain way in a
certain place and time gets reevaluated in a different place and time.