Art matters because we are not worth it

Use every man after his desert, and who should 'scape whipping?

asked Hamlet.

A subeditor at the Guardian does not agree. He or she headed an article by Charlotte Higgins:

All Britain deserves good art, but not just London exports

I am all in favour of good art and believe that much of it should originate outside London. But does any of us "deserve" good art? Isn't one of the reasons for supporting art the realisation that we are flawed human beings and the hope that it may make us better.

In other words we do not deserve art because we are good. We need it because we are bad.