That’s the question everyone in the art world has been asking, with both critics and artists discussing whether or not the concert schedules for Ugly Duckling, Morcheeba and Lee “Scratch” Perry have a place next to the masterpieces of Van Gogh, Chagall and Picasso.

On one side of the argument, proponents of post SFXism point out that the schedule for El Vez bares a remarkable resemblance to Whistler’s Arrangement in Grey and Black, otherwise known as Whistler’s Manager. However, critics of this theory point out that the dates for Brian Setzer Orchestra and Charlie Hunter no more represent early realism as they describe the complicated negotiations that surrounded the planning for the upcoming tour by Creed as depicted in Edward Munch’s The Scream.

However, the discussion is not limited to the world of paint and canvas. There is the growing argument that the actual booking of dates for Jesse Winchester and John Hartford should be considered an art form within itself. Proponents of this theory claim that one should look no further than the current work of the east coast artist known as El Haymon, whose practice of throwing random dates at the calendar and keeping whatever sticks in the finished work is credited as being the main thrust of his portrait entitled The Winter of Venue Discontent, more popularly known as The Jingle Ballers Jam.

An examination of the current state of “booking art” provides more questions than there are answers. Are the routings for M.O.P. and L.A. Guns a direct result of this country’s Marilyn Manson era, symbolized by the musician standing next to his pitchfork-wielding manager in Grant Wood’s classic painting, American Gothic? Should a booking agent cut off his ear in order to create more “Van Gogh like” itineraries? How many already have?

While most of the above questions may be termed as subjective, many critics feel that the future of the art world may lie in the artistic routings for King Cobb Steelie, UFO and Scarface. Or as art aficionado Reginald Dwight once said, “I don’t know what I like, but I know it’s art.”