The artist's payoff in this ritual is obvious enough. He stands to gain precisely what Freud says are the goals of the artist: fame, money, and beautiful lovers. But what about le monde, the culturati, the social members of the act? What's in it for them? Part of their reward is the ancient and semi-sacred status of Benefactor of the Arts. The arts have always been a doorway into Society and in the largest cities today the arts - the museum boards, arts councils, fund drives, openings, parties, committee meetings - have completely replaced the churches in this respect.
Sist sett
