High art is considered something classy, an achievement of sorts. It comes in different forms, forms that are less accessible to the public and mostly for upper-class people. “ High art is traditionally seen as the pinnacle of artistic achievement. It includes forms like painting, sculpture, classical music, ballet, and opera. These art forms are often associated with a high degree of skill, sophistication, and cultural importance. “(High Art vs. Low Art: A Relevant Distinction?, The Art Bog). Low art, on the other hand is considered to be an everyday form of art and more accessible. It’s viewed as less sophisticated than high art, but it is more relatable to people. “On the other hand, low art encompasses the more accessible and everyday forms of artistic expression. This includes popular culture like comic books, street art, pop music, and movies.” (High Art vs. Low Art: A Relevant Distinction?, The Art Bog). Low art, especially comics is mostly tied to teenagers and children. They mostly show action, superheroes, and fictional stories.

In my opinion, low art can definitely deliver some serious messages better than high art because it’s easier for people to relate to it. A good example is Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home. Even though it is a comic, it doesn’t show any unrealistic situations. It talks about family relationships in a way a lot of people have experienced. The secret side of people, and death. And how some people view it. One thing that really stood out to me is that Alison’s father didn’t really seem that affectionate toward his kids, and mostly cared about renovating the home and its decorations. “His greatest achievement, arguably, was his monomaniacal restoration of our old house” (Fun Home, page 4). It is described by Alison that the father viewed his kids as extensions of his own body. Showing us that he didn’t have much affection for his kids, and treated them mostly like workers. “And of course, my brothers and i were free labor. Dad considered us extensions of his own body, like precision robot arms” (Fun Home, page 13). Also, the drawings in the book make it easier for readers to understand what was going on. It gives you a pair of eyes to view the story instead of imagining it. It allows us to see the emotions of the characters.

Before reading Fun Home I knew it was a comic, so I wasn’t expecting much. My thoughts about comics were still about how they are for entertainment, and how they have fictional stories. But my opinion changed fast, once I started reading it I realized that it wouldn’t be the case for thise. The part that surprised me the most was how the father had a secret relationship with teenage boys. At that point, I realized this is not a typical comic. I really enjoyed reading this, it showed me that not all low art is just for fun but, can communicate serious matters to audiences.

High Art vs. Low Art: A Relevant Distinction?