This post by Bryan Formals on the La Pura Vida blog is worth reading if you are tired of or frustrated by the relationship between “photography” and “the art world.”

Photography enjoys a very comfortable position here. At a cultural level, there’s a great awareness of photography in general. This may have something to do with the serious amateur photographers who have a strong public presence. Thinking on a smaller scale, “photography world” itself is wide enough that different schools of thought are able to exist together. The issue Bryan is tackling may not apply too strongly to Japan, but the way he approaches it should ring true for anyone trying to push things forward.