Bravery beyond the call of duty: the men who dared to say boo to Picasso

The Spectator (UK) ^ | 06/01/2002 | Frank Johnson

[Cleburne]

Eh, Alco's are almost steam engines with their wonderful thick coulds of black smoke..er fumes. But no diesel, "classic" or no, can compare with the simplest little Grant Mogul puffing along on a Mississippi narrow logging line circa 1900- fluted domes, capped stack, trim little driving wheels and sharp polished rims- ah! I will concede one thing to diesels- they are better looking than those awful streamlines engines, a "modern" invention. Can't stand those things- a steam engine was not meant to have it's working, steaming parts covered up.

[ladyjane]

I saw/heard a lecture a few months ago about Norman Rockwell. He was a classically trained artist who never called himself an artist, but rather an illustrator. He was very much put down by the 'art world' and he would tweak them a lot in his magazine covers. Many of his works were patterned on famous works of art. Rosy the Riveter, for example, and also his self-portrait. By putting illusions to famous masterpieces in his own work he would say to his critics that he was aware of the art tradition but was doing his own thing anyway. There was an exhibit of his work last year in New York.

[IronJack]

While his personal life was a bit out of the ordinary, some of his writing was wonderful!

I found him pedantic and boring. He even managed to turn the Clutter murders into a twisted yawnfest with his inflated argle-bargle. Besides, he was a lisping fag "embraced" by the pretensia, and those facts alone handicapped him in my world. He would have had to have been a much better writer than he was to overcome those defects.

[SoCal Pubbie]

The Univ. of San Diego is a private school, I believe, usually refered to as USD by the locals. Don't know much about it but I think it's reputation is quite good.

[Right_Wing_Mole_In_Seattle]

For anyone who's interested:

Good Art, Bad Art: Pulling Back the Curtain

[Ditto]

Maxfield Parrish, like Rockwell was an "illustrator" not a 'fine artist' of the elite class. But IMHO, his work will be remembered and enjoyed 500 years from now while the elites will be long forgotten. "Commercial Art" of the 20th Century from Illustration to Industrial Design will be what is remembered.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Great link! Thanks for posting it.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Jackson "Dropcloth" Pollock is the most egregious example of artistic quackery.

[Zack Nguyen]

Didn't someone do an exhibition enititled, "Yo Mama's Last Supper" in New York City? If I remember correctly, it picutred the female "artist" on the Cross in a bikini, and the Apostles as black men with the sole exception of Judas, who was white. I guess Judas had to be a honkey, he was so evil. It is almost funny if it wasn't so pathetic.

[Taliesan]

In the same way it should be possible to say, “This is a good book or a good picture, and it ought to be burned by the public hangman.” Unless one can say that, at least in imagination, one is shirking the implications of the fact that an artist is also a citizen and a human being.

Orwell!!! Yes!!!