This epitomizes the phenomena of the modern artist, marketing themselves as a part of the art, rendering the art and its meaning as secondary. The commercialization of art and the aggrandization of the self become imperative in propelling the artist’s quest for financial gain. In essence, art is now judged on its ability to be marketed to a wealthy audience who will pay top dollar to feel a sense of belonging to an upper echelon of society that is supposedly able to comprehend the deep significance of an inherently meaningless piece of art.  Continue reading The Artist and the Nafs in Modernity