Can art become outdated?

Can art become outdated? Some works have historical significance and are tied to certain time frames, becoming indicative of a style or change in thinking. Some artists become well-known for being at the forefront of these movements. However, many artists are not so lucky and are virtually unknown in their own rights. Their works may be equally as good, but perhaps were not shown in the right places at the right times to be marketed as well or to be seen as being at the forefront of the movement. Are these works then outdated?

With all of the cultural conditioning emphasizing the new over the old, many tend to see the term "outdated"as negative. The term "outdated" merely refers to that which is "no longer current". We have begun to strictly interpret this concept as we do the term "outmoded", but there are subtle differences between the two and the latter can have far more negative implications because it is assumed that what is outmoded is no longer of use. I believe that art can easily become outdated, regarding the true definition of the word without the negative connotations.

People's views change over time. Technology changes. Artworks that were once cutting edge will not necessarily stay there as people respond to them and move on. A lot of artists have a passion for what they do, and nowadays I think that those works may have more longevity and become outdated less quickly (in part because they may not have been as celebrated or well-received and so didn't become as dated in the first place). But some artists are in it to sell and are making works solely based on their marketability. Those works can become quickly outdated because they can foster derivation and because a lot of such works are generated all at once with a lot of hype surrounding them.

Just because something is outdated doesn't necessarily make it unimportant or outmoded. Current movements were greatly influenced by the past and a lot of artworks and movements have historical significance. Just because a specific piece of art isn't touted as a huge influence doesn't mean that it has no significance or bearing. It can still be indicative of a past movement or of the progression of art. And it can still appeal to people hearkening back to the past or studying the course of time.

With much of my work serving as a means of social commentary, I actually hope that my art becomes outdated because that would imply that humankind will have progressed beyond the need for that social commentary. My hope is that in the future a lot of the issues and causes that I have taken up in my work have become themselves outdated (and maybe even outmoded).