Why do people dislike modern and contemporary art?

Because they don’t know what contemporary art is trying to do, and so can’t appreciate it.

Balkan Erotic Epic — Marina Abramović (Wikiart Fair Use)

There are two main reasons for this, both equally important. Firstly, most people’s implicit conception of ‘art’ — picked up from school and along the way — tends to be narrow and blinkered, and fixed on the idea that ‘art’ is…