Ars Gratia Artis

Here is  a question: is a man, who relies upon the state for every penny he earns, truly independent?
Most of us, I think, would answer no. In the world of the Arts, however, the converse is true. At least that is the conclusion to be drawn from various aggrieved comments which have been elicited from Arty folk after the coalition announced swingeing cuts to the cultural sector. Some have bemoaned their 'lost independence' - independence, presumably, from public taste: a serious matter when much of this 'art' is considered irrelevant tosh by 99.99% of the public. The following quote, from a champion of modern dance, sums it up:

Old Chinese proverb: it is better to keep one's mouth shut, and be thought an idiot, than to open one's mouth, and prove it.