It is obvious that you have no appreciation or understanding of Abstract Expressionism and that's too bad for you. Do you also have disdain for other periods of art that you don't understand? Photography is considered art and is influenced by other genres of art. Many times I have gotten inspiration from art that I have seen in museums.

Might be a good idea for any photographer to learn some Art History because there are universal rules for composition, color, use of space that you can apply to your own work. Artist have been doing this since the renaissance.

I’ve mentioned it here before but like the time I was at the Milwaukee Museum of Art. There was an empty, clear, hollow acrylic cube approximately 12-14 inches square setting on a pedestal. It was empty and initially I thought they had removed the piece of art inside. No, it was named “Nothingness” and the void on the inside was the artwork, if you can call the absence of anything art. Even throwing paint has more thought and effort invested than buying a hollow cube and claiming that you created art.

You are quite right in saying that photography is art. And it is probably easier to draw or paint some figment of your imagination than it is to actually photograph the same. Anyone can draw a unicorn but to photograph one is far more difficult.

Don’t think art is lost on me. Trains go by my house everyday and I see the rail cars tagged by someone with a can of spray paint. Some of it is really good, especially considering the size of their “canvas”. Too bad they can’t apply their talent in a more constructive manner.

I turn table legs and such on a wood lathe. To make one look good, it certainly takes an eye for shapes, contours and perspective. So I think I know the difference between something done in an artistic manner and merely throwing paint or displaying nothing and calling it art. Instead of spending a lot of time and effort sanding and varnishing a piece of furniture I just built, maybe it would look better if I just slopped on the Minwax from a distance. Maybe make some varnish water balloons. That would undoubtedly have a good effect upon something I’ve invested $800 worth of walnut I’ve milled myself and invested countless hours of labor.