All art is conceptual art

When you think about it, any art not trying to copy, and this would be mere illustration is conceptual art. I come to this from expanding on a conversation where my colleague asked if I thought our era would be remembered as a poor era for art. He meant YBAs on, I suppose. I think art is as strong as the belief we invest in it. Those old Picasso paintings, those van goghs are only good because we have constructed a story that tells us so. Just because Damien Hirst grew up in the same place as me at the same time as me it makes his art no weaker because it is closer. Look to American collectors with no idea about north Leeds in the 70s where we grew up. They have his work written in to art history. Just because we knew him before his work took off doesn't make it any less. Unless we take off 150 years, get back to skill based work, that could be argued to have inherent value. Even then it is only through a narrative of skill we make it good. Nothing has inherent value.