Peter Max sells paintings that are photocopies pasted on canvas then painted over. Some people consider this art, some people don’t.
As an artist I see this as a ‘doss’ – northern English expression for something very easy (walkover) to do. Also known as ‘Nice work if you can get it.’.
I don’t think this art is particularly cheaper than art you paint all of – if you know what I mean. I’ve just seen one of Peter Max’s ‘paintings’ in this style in the Wentworth Gallery in Boca Raton Town Centre, Florida. ? It’s perhaps 12″ x 18″ as I recall, a photocopy of Obama’s face glued on a canvas with a few slops of happy looking (coloured) paint around his face. Not even painted up the 1.5″ in depth sides of the painting. When you paint up the sides of a painting like that it’s called ‘gallery ready’. It means you don’t have to bother getting a frame for the painting.
$17,000 for this non-effort.
Awesome or what?
PS It’s not that I’m totally against this ‘style’. I’m just observing… I may even do it! I think I’d reduce the price of efforts like that though. My preference is that art happies-up-your-day, and for me this type of art does. Despite everything.
