Self-Expression is Not Art

A noxious consequence of the transformation of society into a community of narcissists is the rise of the delusional idea that expressing oneself equates to creating art. It does not. Art has nothing to do with self-expression. In fact, great artistic achievement can only be found in cases where the creator has minimized himself and allowed his work to overshadow him.

I wrote about this year’s Eurovision competition as a prime example of massive narcissistic display, facilitated and celebrated by an international audience. Essentially, the performers were lauded to the degree that they “self-expressed.” The winner was crowned champion for no reason other than he had proclaimed himself to be non-binary. Nothing more.