low art
Populist creative work
Low art is creative work considered lacking in sophistication or cultural prestige—mass entertainment, popular crafts, commercial design.
The term exists in contrast to "high art" like opera, fine painting, or literary fiction.
The distinction is often criticized as snobbish or arbitrary: Comic books were dismissed as low art until graphic novels gained respectability.
What counts as low art shifts over time—jazz and film were once considered vulgar entertainment.
- pop musicCatchy, commercial song genre
- advertising postersPrinted promotional wall displays
- bumper stickersAdhesive vehicle slogans
- quiltingLayered fabric stitching
- comic booksIllustrated periodical narratives
memes · bathroom humor · greeting cards · blockbuster films · reality TV · fan fiction · collectible figurines · carnival games · regional festivals · traditional dance · street fashion · album covers · oral storytelling · folk songs · textile patterns · DIY crafts · video games · street performances
low arthigh art
Culturally elevated creative works
fine art · high culture · art music · literary fiction · avant-garde
low, lower, lowest, lowly, lowness, art, arts, artful, artfully