Sohrab Ahmari, a writer based in London, has written an important new book, “The New Philistines: How Identity Politics Disfigure the Arts,” the subject of which is outlined in an excellent Wall Street Journal op-ed. The title of the op-ed is “Remember When Art Was Supposed to Be Beautiful?”

According to Ahmari, “Contemporary art is obsessed with the politics of race, gender and sexuality.” Instead of art being created principally for the purpose of aesthetic representation and appreciation, today’s contemporary art is too often politically motivated rather than aesthetically driven.

This is an important contribution to the discussion of the intrinsic nature of art itself.