# Most despised (visual) artists **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 28, 2002, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-despised-visual-artists/145287 "2002-12-28T02:52:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Harry\_Lime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Harry\_Lime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harry_Lime)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-despised-visual-artists/145287/41 "2002-12-29T04:13:06Z")
I’m hardly a fan of Kinkade’s but he’s Rembrandt compared to Neiman. (Oh, and I guess I get to wear the dunce cap and be thought a Philistine, because I like Rockwell and Pat Nagel both. Oh, well.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-despised-visual-artists/145287/42 "2002-12-29T04:35:54Z")
Is Keith Haring really overrated? I’ve always gotten the impression that he was looked down by the “high art” scene as being too pop. **Jomo** - fair enough, taste is taste. But are you saying that art must be beautiful or at least not repulsive to be viewed as art? What do you think of an artist such as Shiele, for example? Or Serrano? Or Mapplethorpe’s more extreme works? Not criticizing, I’m just curious where you’re coming from, and what is important for you in art. ---
**Author:** ![Forbin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Forbin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Forbin)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-despised-visual-artists/145287/43 "2002-12-29T07:27:37Z")
\ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Forbin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Forbin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Forbin)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-despised-visual-artists/145287/44 "2002-12-29T07:31:04Z")
:smack: \ ---
**Author:** ![Harry\_Lime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Harry\_Lime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harry_Lime)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-despised-visual-artists/145287/45 "2002-12-29T11:30:19Z")
Neither. Rather a redneck, in point of fact. Does _anyone_ have any idea why Matthew Arnold decided to stick the name of this hapless ancient tribe onto a set of people in modern society with little or no taste? Did he just pick them at random? Could people who think _Erin Brockovich_ is the best film they’ve ever seen just as easily have been called Carthaginians or Hittites? What gives? ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-despised-visual-artists/145287/46 "2002-12-29T12:39:59Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Harry Lime \* Does _anyone_ have any idea why Matthew Arnold decided to stick the name of this hapless ancient tribe onto a set of people in modern society with little or no taste? [QUOTE] Why was he so down on the Bohemians, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-despised-visual-artists/145287/47 "2002-12-29T12:40:14Z")
I remember being in the Tate Gallery in London, looking at a painting by Mark Rothko. It was a big rectangular canvas which was almost completely one color (red, I think). Then there was a black vertical stripe from top to bottom near the right edge, followed by a red stripe to its right and another black one on the edge. THIS got in the Tate Gallery? Aargh! BOOOOORING. ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-despised-visual-artists/145287/48 "2002-12-29T13:07:59Z")
SNOOOOOPY, Come to Houston and visit the “rothko chapel”, it contains several large paintings (all black), I am amazed that no one has mentioned my favorite glass guy, he takes a lot of heat for being a “fake artist” (but not from me, I love his stuff). unclviny ---
**Author:** ![lout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@lout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lout)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-despised-visual-artists/145287/49 "2002-12-29T13:24:35Z")
I think Cristo has always been more of a publicity-seeker than a serious artist. > [@](#): > > Who was that artist in the 80’s - early 90’s who hired other artists to execute his sketches or would make one of something and have his assistants make “original” copies and his clients were completely OK with this and he was unapologetic about it . –Actually, many artists hire others to assist in the execution of their works, including great artists like Frank Stella, Richard Serra and Anthony Caro. I don’t think this is a valid objection, i.e., it doesn’t in an of itself imply that the artist is a fraud. Neimann is a fraud because he’s more interested in exploiting a market than in making good paintings. This would be true whether or not Neimann works alone or hires assistants to paint his stuff by numbers. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-despised-visual-artists/145287/50 "2002-12-29T13:38:42Z")
> [@](#): > > Sorry but throwing a tarp over something and wrapping it with rope does nothing for me. Neither does wrapping a stick in a rag and wrapping it with string. Nor does wrapping a hillside or coastline with sheets. **voguevixen,** Have you ever actually seen one of Christo’s major works? I have seen two, and both were incredibly beautiful and breath-takingly awesome. My personal nomination for most despised is Thomas Hart Benton. His art makes me seasick. ---
**Author:** ![JayElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@JayElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JayElle)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-despised-visual-artists/145287/51 "2002-12-29T18:25:23Z")
> [@](#): > > I am amazed that no one has mentioned my favorite glass guy, he takes a lot of heat for being a “fake artist” (but not from me, I love his stuff). Are you talking about Chihuly? Did you read the art review in the _Houston Press_? Man, they ripped him apart in that article. ---
**Author:** ![Forbin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Forbin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Forbin)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-despised-visual-artists/145287/52 "2002-12-29T18:30:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Harry Lime \* > \*\*Does _anyone_ have any idea why Matthew Arnold decided to stick the name of this hapless ancient tribe onto a set of people in modern society with little or no taste? Did he just pick them at random? > > Could people who think _Erin Brockovich_ is the best film they’ve ever seen just as easily have been called Carthaginians or Hittites? What gives? \*\* I have heard that the Philistines often bought matador paintings. The Carthaginians wisely eschewed this faux pas. Instead, they wisely decorated their houses with reproductions of Raphaels. Sorry, but I don’t know enough about the Hittites to comment. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-despised-visual-artists/145287/53 "2002-12-29T18:31:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JayElle \* > \*\*Are you talking about Chihuly? Did you read the art review in the _Houston Press_? Man, they ripped him apart in that article. \*\* JAYELLE, Yes, I saw that article and it pissed me off, that whole “high horse vibe” that I have been getting from the Houston Press lately really sucks, but since Public News went away I have been “forced” to read the Press, it was encouraging the following week to read the letters defending him. I THINK CHIHULY ROCKS! unclviny [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-despised-visual-artists/145287.md?page=2)