Abstract Art - why talk about it if you don't get it.

[i-need-a-martini]

I volunteer at a regional gallery and get to meet some wonderful, weird and wacky people.

But the ones that get up my goat are the ones who say "That looks like something a 5 year old would do." and expect me to agree with them.

And whilst we have a lot of community exhibitions that are amateurish enough (so perhaps the comment may be fair enough), the comment is usually reserved for iconic artists in major travelling exhibitions who are extremely well known.

Does anyone here like abstract art? And if you really hate it, why?

[iapetus_rocks]

I'm not so struck on Whiteley, but then I haven't seen much of his work (none in real life)

[i-need-a-martini]

And last one:

Howard Arkley

Not a particular favourite of mine but beautifully executed spray can paintings with the subject being urban and suburban life. He has done some amazing paintings and drawings that I do like very much but this is similar to the ones I show to visitors.

[iapetus_rocks]

That reminds me of the old Japanese prints.

[lurker172602]

The Arkley piece reminds me of some of Peter O'Doherty's work.  I love his stuff.

edit to say, I don't think many 5yo's could do that.

[gleee58]

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@lurker172602 wrote:

The Arkley piece reminds me of some of Peter O'Doherty's work.  I love his stuff.

edit to say, I don't think many 5yo's could do that.

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I doubt many 5 year olds would be able to create the Duchamp either.  I don't think the biggest critics even grasp what's in the painting.

[i-need-a-martini]

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@gleee58 wrote:

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@lurker172602 wrote:

The Arkley piece reminds me of some of Peter O'Doherty's work.  I love his stuff.

edit to say, I don't think many 5yo's could do that.

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I doubt many 5 year olds would be able to create the Duchamp either.  I don't think the biggest critics even grasp what's in the painting.

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What is interesting about the Duchamp painting (I googled after Erica downloaded it) is that it wasn't meant to be a stand alone painting. It was actually a study to be used in another painting. It was probably never meant to see the light of day! Thank goodness it didn't get destroyed or painted over!

Here is the actual painting called "Paradise". Subject matter obvious but also apparently links in with the place where he was born. 

Fascinating!

I prefer the study personally as the colours and forms appeal to me.

[cosmosgrove]

I'm not that keen on that Duchamp landscape although I like the colours and warmth in it, I actually prefer Duchamp's readymades to his paintings 😄

I like Fred Williams work alot and of those three artists he would be my favourite. Arkley I always thought of as a tragic figure, I can remember when he got chosen to exhibit at the Venice Biennale and then died not long after he returned. I always thought it was suicide but just read it was an overdose. Unfortunately I don't think of seen any of these in real life but would love to.

[i-need-a-martini]

cosmo - the Arkleys are huge. There are 3 (or maybe 2. I can't recall) side by side in the exhibition and they are fabulous close up. He was a very sad figure though. 

All art is amazing close up. I am always shocked to see things up close because you can never imagine how beutiful some pieces are. Blue Poles is a great example.

The only art I was ever disappointed in when I saw it in real life was the Mona Lisa and all that I saw of Salavdor dali. I think the anticipation got to me and I expected somehow more lol.

Some of Dalis paintings are so small that you'd need a magnifying glass to see the detail that you can easily see in a book!

[i-need-a-martini]

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@cosmosgrove wrote:

I actually prefer Duchamp's readymades to his paintings 😄

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I don't even know what to say about that sentence lol! You're in a class of your own there! 

[cosmosgrove]

Oh that's interesting about the Dali's I was a massive fan in my youth and had Dali posters on my walls so I kind of imagine them to be that size which is really silly. I still have the tattered remains somewhere waiting for me to do something amazing with one day.

This thread has made me really keen to get out to some galleries, living in the country it's something I miss doing, and there is nothing like seeing artwork in the flesh. The scale, textures and colours are just something that can't be captured in a book or online.