My child could do that!
Tuesday, November 27th, 2007It’s the classic criticism of abstract art. Give a five-year-old some finger paints and a big canvas, people claim, and he too could have one-man shows and high-paying collectors.
Don’t be so sure. “Childish” and “child-like” are not the same. I saw an exhibit once that displayed the work of children alongside that of trained adult artists. The difference was striking and instantly recognizable, and these were artists whose paintings frequently hear the “childish” accusation. The motifs were similar, but the differences lay in the execution.
Speaking from my own limited experience, abstraction is easy. Successful abstraction is hard. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. As Pablo Picasso said, “It takes a long time to become young.”
