Are Events, Environments, and Star Performances Art?

In light of the radical, avant-garde rejections of art, or of the very dramatic expansions of art, which retain some reservation towards the popular, the question arises as to whether or not undoubtedly popular events and environments have ever been classified as ‘art’—and perhaps even ‘good art’—when these latter originate from within the culture industry. Reluctance about the broadening of the concept of art, and about the consequent application of criteria reflecting a more boundless understanding of art, is also noticeable in the classification and evaluation of stars of ‘popular culture.’ The avant-garde attack on the separation of ‘life’ and ‘art’ provides a point of departure for not limiting one’s understanding of stars’ work to their films, songs, and concerts.