personal taste, knowledge, mood, culture, time (era, generation), social context/herd, etc

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“Like rain on a cold window, these thoughts pattered against the hard surface of the incontrovertible truth.” - J.K. Rowling

"It is easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them." - Alfred Adler

Many of the things you mentioned above. I guess there are different levels of art appreciation.

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"Illusions never fake their lies * trick cards fool the eye * carry zeros over till they add up * bury tears in the chapters you shut ..."
Scarecrow - by Beck

I'd say a lot of things.... mainly social context and the herd.
lots of people only like pretty landscape paintings. A lot of people might hate a lot of my art. lol

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I LOVE LIFE!
(you should, too.)

Personal taste and upbringing, I suppose.

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_{My Portfolio
Katie Franke
Traditional Art Gallery Moderator}

somehwat of a knowledge to distinguish what has an artistic value : a nicely composed picture from a poor quality webcam shot of someone's boobs or a completed, finished painted piece versus a screenshot of a WIP with silly comments on the sides...

and taste and I have to agree with Snow, Upbringing too. Ppl who have just a hint of a good influence over the new generation to appreciate quality and depth over first level instinct pleasurable depictions of one's personal fetishes.

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If a vagina is art, so is a penis too.
If a woman's ass hole is art, so is a man's ass hole too.
If a woman's breasts is art, so is a man's chest too.
If tied up women is art, so are tied up men too.

I wrote gallery directors, because what they don't show you can't get to know, right?

yes, I answered "mood" because despite how much knowledge of art and culture, ultimately an image either strikes your heart or not.
Nestr, you may want to ignore it but your strong point is your photomanipulations. Although your photography's top notch too. You want recognition, get back to your surreal manips., my 2 cents.

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Romance is rarely based on any real harmony or discord between people. Instead, it's based on whatever information about them we can lull ourselves into believing. Thomas Tryon

My best artworks here are photographs Then comes a painting. I use different medium to express my thoughts, whenever a thought needs to be expressed through photomanipulation, I will do it.

I agree with graphicquee91.