The Integrity Of Art

During my latest television show, I talked about the lack of real “artists” who enter art schools, thus the crap they make. That crap is intellectualized. Some of that crap looks like it was created by a two-year-old…

In the world of art, things are not always what they seem, especially when it comes to the abstract paintings of an unknown artist. A Melbourne gallery has been embarrassed after it emerged that vivid artworks it chose to display in a forthcoming exhibition were actually created by a two-year-old.

Aelita Andre’s mother, established Russian-born photographer Nikka Kalashnikova, showed her daughter’s paintings to gallery director Mark Jamieson in October, failing to disclose the fact that the creative genius behind the work was just 22-months-old.

Mr Jamieson liked the paintings enough to include them in a group show, alongside photographs by Kalashnikova and work by another artist Julia Palenov, according to reports in The Age newspaper.

If an art gallery director like Mark Jamieson can’t tell the difference between abstract art and the finger-paintings of a toddler, just what does that finally say about the state of art in the world?