It would be still be art but no, you wouldn't be taken seriously. To some extent succeeding at art is by definition succeeding in those circles, whether throug

It would be still be art but no, you wouldn't be taken seriously. To some extent succeeding at art is by definition succeeding in those circles, whether through politics, a chance patron or gallery owner fixating on you, raw unignorable talent, etc. A related definition is succeeding by sheer popularity and fame, like a Banksy, though he's succeeded in both ways. I don't think this insight undermines the art world wholesale, though it definitely suggests (correctly) that luck plays role, that not all great artists succeed, and that not all successful artists are great. Most games in life are like this.