What is art and beauty?

Art and beauty are in the eye of the beholder. A cliche, but true.

What is art to one person might be trash to another. What is beauty to one might be repulsive to another.

I truly like certain flowering plants, but recently had a visitor who exclaimed, "Oh, I hate those!"

Leaving aside the bad manners of denigrating plants your host has clearly been nurturing, how can anyone possibly hate a flower?

It's the same with a painting or sculpture or other work of art. If someone enjoys it, fine. If you don't like it, you don't have to look at it.

My kids were taught never, ever, to make detrimental comments at the dinner table. Why put someone off a particular food simply because you don't like it? The same applies to art and beauty; if you don't like something keep quiet and let others make up their own mind.

I recall a woman with the most beautiful glowing violet eyes, and always admired them. One day someone told me what an ugly person he thought her. A good example of keeping negative opinions to yourself!

The same goes for all art, crafts, and perceived beauty.
The answer is: aesthetics