>>>>Well, the eye of the beholder comes into it and if some gobs**te likes it or is prepared to pay that's a different matter. I didn't mean just cos someone thought of it it's good. There was an equally big kerfuffle some years ago about a white canvas taking the Turner Prize, and all the newspapers had photos of this scandalous white canvas. But what they couldn't show was that close up you can see the inconsistencies in many layers of paint, some transluscent, with texture, etc. Not to say thet I defend it but, again, he had the idea to do that which no-one else had. Now, equally some "Old masters" can be attractive to some but not to others. Lucian Freud, for instance, billed as the UK's greatest living painter: I can't stand his work and think it's a load of "Eartha". See here his execrable portrait of the Queen. I'll bet she winces every time she sees it. Look at the asymetry of the two sides of teh face (eg distance from eye to side of head):
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>>>>http://painting.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=painting&cdn=hobbies&tm=19&gps=53_322_1100_722&f=00&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1720000/images/_1723071_queen_freud300.jpg
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>>>Did he get paid for this or simply beheaded?
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>>I've bagsied the privilege! If I ever get near him. I hate his work but have argued with people who thinks it's great
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>>He does paint gross images:
>>http://jameshymangallery.com/pages/archive/information/40.html
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>>And he does like his ugly paintings of men with their meat and 2 veg hanging out. Ssshuuuudddderrr!
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>>>Maybe he saw her that way. Maybe it's his way of saying she's warped, or maybe he's far sighted in one eye and myopic in the other, and is unaware of his condition.
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>>I'd say he just can't paint. But what do I know?!
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>Regardless of my taste (or lack of taste) in art, I do respect people with skill. And judging from these links, I think he definitly has skills that not many have.

Yes he has skill. But one that goes straight over my head. A bit like those golfballers you so love
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>>>For what it's worth, my impression is that the art world is full of scammers getting away with murder because the art experts are unwilling to admit they don't understand something.
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>>Aye!
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>>>>As for your Red Stipe painting. Were there any Jamaicans on the judging panel? :-)
>>>>Maybe it was chosen as it subliminally complements your national flag?
>>>>