A Short Rant on Modern Art

This past weekend, I went to the wonderful Tate Britain to see the Turner Prize. After last years dissapointment, I did not arrive expecting to be overwhelmed by the state of modern art. What I saw constituted a daylight robbery. Or it would have if I had paid for the experience. It seems official that modern art no longer has any heart, soul or integrity. Of the four artists whose work was on display not a single one managed to stir even so much as a glimmer of intrigue, enjoyment or amazement. In fact the only compliment I can think to offer the exhibition was that I was not indifferent to the experience. And perhaps that was a commendable aspect of the show. Art by its definition is subjective and inspires arguement, praise, condemnation. The Turner prize certainly drew out some highly volatile and opinionated statements on the comments board at the end of the show. In fact, these comments where actually the highlight.
But should art really take any pride from being so controversially dissapointing? I am by no means an expert, but when I look at a peice of art, be it a painting, a poem, a song, a sculpture, or film, what I expect at the very least is a technical ability which is observable in the artwork. This is surely one of the defining characteristics of art. You might not like Dali, or Rothko, or Picasso, but at least one can recognise that they know how to paint. For modern art seems to have left this artisanal quality behind, disregarding it for concept, or "creativity". Conceptual art is one thing, but art which is purely concept is not art. The one characteristic all the artists work on display demonstrated was that the artists had had the idea (and somebody else hadn't). There doesn't seem to be any artistic integrity to the work.
I admit openly that my knowledge of art is weak, and purely subjective. if I am amazed, enthralled or astonished, then generally I think art is very good. One example I witnessed yesterday in the Tate, before the Turner Prize was the art of Tacita Dean and her Roaring Forties black canvas work. Inventive, original, brilliantly executed. Everything modern art should be.
If you are planning on checking out the Turner Prize, I recommend it, if not purely to support the Tate, but whilst there check out the Tacita Dean work. Its only in a small room, but is worth the trip alone. As for the Turner Prize, at the very least it will inspire heated discussion, and on some level that is also the point of art.