Yes, Virginia,
there are "Standards" in The Arts
"A painter ought not certainly to refuse listening to the opinion of any one; for we know that, although a man be not a painter, he may have just notions of the forms of men -- whether a man has a hump on his back, a thick leg, or a large hand; whether he be lame, or have any other defect. now, if we know that men are able to judge the works of Nature, should we not think them more able to detect our errors?"
Leonardo DaVinci, A Treatise on Painting;
Drawing, sec. 25; Prometheus Books, Great Minds Series, 2002.
The Tree of Crows, 1822 by
Caspar
David Friedrich
Any number of authors may be found enumerating standards, but for brevity, the late Christian author, Francis Schaeffer [in "Art & the Bible," 1979] is hard to beat. In this short work, he lists the following four standards of judgment for all artworks [I'd qualify this by adding, "all artworks placed in the public arena"]. Artists honestly interested in creating more than confrontational/protest/in-your-face "art" - regardless of their religious persuasion, or level of training and practical mastery - will benefit greatly by considering, and then striving towards them.*
1. Technical Excellence: "By recognizing technical excellence...we are often able to say that while we do not agree with...an artist's world view, he is nonetheless a great artist."
2. Validity: "...whether an artist is honest to himself and to his world view or whether he makes his art only for money or for the sake of being accepted."
3. Content: "...the worldview of the artist. As far as a Christian is concerned, the worldview that is shown through a body of art must be seen ultimately in terms of the Scripture..."
4. Integration of Content and Vehicle: "In essence, the manner of the artist's work should be suited to the message...the way a work is done enhances the impact of its subject." [Kirk Richards, on Francis Schaeffer, in "For Glory and For Beauty," p. 27]
* Schaeffer's four standards are condensed from, "For Glory and For Beauty: Practical Perspectives on Christianity and the Visual Arts," Kirk Richards and Stephen Gjertson, 2002, Newington-Cropsey Foundation, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
4.) A Suggested Order of [Academic] Studies