The Value of Art

In the article, “The Work of Art”, by Walter Benjamin, on page 23 there is a quote that says, “Today the cult value would seem to demand that the work of art remain hidden.” It continues on to talk about how they believe that there are certain pieces or art works that are meant only for the Gods or for priests to see. They mention how Madonnas remain covered nearly all year round. It seems that they believe certain pieces of art are meant to serve one purpose and no other. If these pieces of art are seen by those who are not meant to see them then they may lose their value.
This may be a stretch of a modern example, but it relates to those of us in the U.S and other wealthy countries that have so much access to modern technology. Most people you run into have an iPod, a computer, a flat-screen TV and so on. These luxuries seem to be common to own for all of us. We see them everywhere and so many people have them that it doesn’t seem normal not to own these objects. However if you go to a third world country seeing these items would probably cause people to be in a state of awe.
This relates back to the pieces of art that the cult believe should remain hidden to the majority of the world’s population. If someone creates something meant only to be seen by a certain person or group of people then it should remain only for them because as with the case of modern technology, if it’s everywhere then it will lose its’ meaning. Creativity is an important thing to have and not many people are lucky enough to have that characteristic. So for those who do they should be able to decide who gets to appreciate it.