Aesthetic Relativism?

*I’m indebted to the philosopher David Hume for some of these ideas.

                When we discuss works of art or culinary dishes, we generally accept that people’s preferences are subjective.  I may love a movie that you hate.  Neither of us is objectively right – it is merely our preference.  But we also feel that some works of art are objectively better than others.  It seems that The Shawkshank Redemption is objectively better than any Pauly Shore movie.  This is more than a mere preference.  How do we reconcile these two viewpoints?

                From the perspective of one’s experience, it seems absurd to say a given piece of art is objectively better than another.  Whatever the individual experiences when encountering the art is purely subjective and neither right nor wrong. 

                But it seems that some people are in a better position to judge the actual quality of a piece of art for a variety of reasons.  An expert on 17^th century French painting is in a far better position to judge the quality of a Sebastien Bourdon painting than I am.  The art critic, by virtue of his knowledge, can compare and contrast a piece and understand how it fits into the medium.  A wine critic may have better taste buds and a much wider range of wine experience than the average person.  Therefore, he or she can better judge the objective quality of a wine.  Things such as knowledge, experience, and sensory capacity put certain individuals in a better position to objectively judge the quality of a piece of art. 

                As I listen to more music, watch more movies, and better build up my sensory and critical capacity, the way I experience pieces of art changes.  I am better able to tell the actual quality of something.

                In essence, the critical distinction I am trying to make is between our individual subjective experiences and the ability to objectively analyze the quality of something.  It is idiotic to argue with the way somebody experiences a piece of art.  Experience is subjective and relative – however it felt to the individual is how it felt.  But certain people, as a result of their knowledge and sensory capacity in a given field, such as critics, are often in a better position to determine the actual objective quality of something.  For example, if I have only seen two movies in my life, and I’m partially blind and deaf, it can be objectively said that I am in a worse position to judge the actual quality of a given movie than, say, Roger Ebert.