The flaw of “idea” or “political” art

The unavoidable trap of ”idea” art is several-fold: once the idea is conveyed and grasped, the actual work of art is left pretty much empty and purposeless; or, in the case of politicized artworks, once the present currency of the idea passes, what remains is a work with little social piquancy and a lot of artistic techne (see, e.g., The Raft of the Medusa). Ultimately, there are only so many times (and it's probably a small number) that one can walk into a gallery and ponder over dirt or leaves strewn on the floor.

Religious art, as a special genre of “political” art (art of a society or polity or public issue), continues to exude a degree of vibrancy as long as the religion itself or the religious feelings persist. But some religious works (indeed, many) tend to be reduced to formulaic talismans, mere holy cards and treacly statues of the Virgin.