> In reality, there are no more "prodigies" in the field of art because it has been completely de-skilled. That's a rather provocative statement! I assume by

> In reality, there are no more "prodigies" in the field of art because it has been completely de-skilled. That's a rather provocative statement! I assume by "art" you mean "painting"? Or did you really mean it more broadly? I don't have any professional or formal training in this field so forgive me if I'm misinterpreting or retreading old ground here, but doesn't your statement seem to imply that there is no room for beauty in contemporary art? If it is completely de-skilled, "anyone" can make art, and so it will only be valuable to the extent that it makes some sort of statement, or is perceived as valuable by collectors / experts.