What is Modern 'ART'

I'm a week late on this post. But without further ado, here it is...

With reference to Walter Benjamin's "Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction", is technology allowing anyone to be an artist?? Applications such as; Photoshop, iTunes Garage Band, Illustrator, iDVD etc (basically anything mac shop pro) are allowing users to edit and create their own version of art.

Is it wrong. Is it Art. Is it crap.

In most cases, I would say that it is a version of art. One that I and others may not truly appreciate as much as art found in the louvre and museums... But 'art' all the same. Music is art, film is art, photography is art. they are all forms of art, but perhaps not at quite the same discerning level.

I have wondered if the popularity of consumer generated media could have anything to do with the progression of 'art' and contemporary digital media. The evolution of art has been brought down to the 'anyone can be an artist' level. How? Through marketing i believe. Marketers know consumers, saw the increase in demand for consumer generated opportunity and then they did anything they could to make it as mainstream as possible. 'Create our ad starring you', 'upload pics of you wearing our jeans', 'put your band on MySpace and get signed'. Film, photography and music........ created by the consumer ........ labeled 'art' by marketers.

So I have just gone off on a tangent, but to bring it all back together. I think art, as with beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.