Amen. Everything can be art, but just being 'art' doesn't give something value. Great art comes from a devotion to process and technique. Unfortunately, that doesn't sell as well as the ubiquitous canned reactionary crap that pretends to be controversial. There is a fashionable pop art gallery nearby where I work. If I went there and removed every piece that was a commentary on sex, violence, or commericalization, the gallery would be empty. Give me a piece that talks about innocence. Give me a piece that talks about consciousness, or love, or loss. No. Paint Alice in Wonderland eating a steak, or a baby doll with an M16, or maybe a bunch of manga chicks at a cocktail party, and you're good to go.
J.W. Downs Solitude and Stylers are also beautiful. The first in the The Spanners series reminded me of Gertie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY40DHs9vc4 Stylers, in particular, seems like a concept art for an awesome feature. http://tinyurl.com/c6qswyn I also like the yellow sign at the bottom left. Plus, the guy was an animator for Sleeping Beauty. That alone makes him awesome.