Just one-third of Americans have a favorite work of art

September 11, 2018, 2:00 PM GMT+0

Only 35% of Americans say that they have a favorite work of art, but only 13% think art is a waste of time and money

In one way or another art is something that we engage with every day. Art is not simply limited to the paintings and sculptures of the nation's most visited museums, but is also the logo on the hood of our car, or the design on our coffee cup.

But when asked, data from YouGov Omnibus finds that most Americans (55%) say that they do not have a favorite particular piece of visual art. Only 35% say that they do. There is no significant difference between men and women, or between age groups when asked this question, but perhaps unsurprisingly there is a strong connection to education. While 55% of people with a postgraduate education have a favorite work of art, only 25% of people with a high school education or less do.

Nevertheless, Americans are generally opposed to the notion that art is a waste of time and money; 48% strongly disagree with that, while a further 15% somewhat disagree. Only 13% agree in any sense at all. Americans aged 18-34 (21%) are more likely than those aged 55 and older (6%) to agree.

29% of Americans do think that visual art should strive for accurate, realistic depictions of life, rather than indulging in more abstract depictions. Men (33%) are more likely than women (25%) to agree with this.

See the full results here.

Learn more about YouGov Omnibus.

Image: Getty