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Good Grief! Karin
"The Painted Word" revisited. You spent too much time reading Tom Wolfe's book in protest of the modern art theorists that he believed would be remembered more so than the artist they attempted to explain. Your parody aside, I'm still not sure that I understand the need to put down one school of painting over another.
The dismissal of realism/classical to justify modern art was no worse than any current attempts to belittle contemporary painters like Freud. If I had the funds I would not buy one of his paintings but I will continue to believe that his efforts are sincere and I was pleased to read Annette's post that suggests a more liberal acceptance of truth/realism. Otherwise we could easily become guilty of naval staring. Endlessly worrying about the fine points (?) of painting.
Like where the light must come from, the pigments we use, which way to face the subject etc. As Wiliam Merritt Chase said "I prefer a little deviltry" He might have suggested some provocation also to escape formalized blandness that creeps into our work as we find commercial success.
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