re: The Painted Hype: Clifford Still and Andrew Wyeth

iremember — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 18:46:59 GMT

The art critics of the twentieth and twenty first century have a vested interest in modern art. Especially New York avant-garde art. This is something very much akin to the popular music scene that also is souless, empty, and talentless. Thus we suspect that is the reason for the New York art scene to try to dictate taste to the rest of the country. The overriding reason is money and power. Much like the ancient Egyptian priests who were also idiots, albeit clever idiots. Don't be fooled by the large crowd of sheep that don't think for themselves and visit the large modern art meccas. They have been brainwashed into believing that all the trash in the museum is worthy of being there. We have been told that some modern isms are the only American invention in the art world. Unfortunately much current modern art is shallow and decorative. If these modern art inventions are the best we can do then we have our work cut out for us. To ask the viewer to see nothing in your art is asking too much. This is the type of thing that should be reserved for building decorations and mouldings for furniture. True art is not mere imitation. These so-called critics of taste in many instances are not great artists themselves and wouldn't know how to paint a great picture if their life depended on it. Great art is a synthesis of life. A coordination of great design, which is all that modern has and nothing else, a feeling for the subject, great skill, and yes a sense of form. Abstract modern art has only the design. Great realist art begins with design and then adds the other elements that modern art sorely lacks. Great realistic art is never an imitation of the subject like a camera would give. Critics seem to not understand this. Critics believe that they have great understanding and knowledge enough to dictate our tastes in art. In reality many Art critics are are not worldly enough or smart enough to dictate taste to me or to anyone else. I'm sure that many architects, engineers, and scientists would rely on their own artistic judgment over a mere art critic. Wake up art world. Andrew Wyeth and other great realistic artists will over time become the remembered artists of the last century. Fashion is fickle, but great art is timeless. Modern art is infested with Daubists. Stop investing large sums of money to pad your museums with modern trash. Mere daubs of color without meaning are meaningless. They are fine for decoration but little else and they definitely do not qualify as great Art or deserve great patronage.

re: The Painted Hype: Clifford Still and Andrew Wyeth

Ken Greenleaf — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:11:28 GMT

Further, this piece is not about the art but about the hype. Andy Warhol proved conclusively that it's more important to be famous than good. Things still might be good, and the artist famous, but they don't always coincide.

re: The Painted Hype: Clifford Still and Andrew Wyeth

Ken Greenleaf — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:45:39 GMT

Actually, I have sat in a room with Still's paintings quite a number of times over the years. Enough times to come away with the conviction that they are not among the best.

re: The Painted Hype: Clifford Still and Andrew Wyeth

Sharky — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:47:31 GMT

Spoken like someone who's never sat quietly in a room with Still's paintings.

This isn't art criticism; this is more akin to a diatribe about Paris Hilton, and just as worthy of our dismissal.