Izzit?

An exhibition of Marlene Dumas, Dutch / South African painter (*) has become subject of criticism. Some people admire her work, and think it is refreshing, renewing and remarkable art. While others cannot appreciate the 'painting by numbers' and believe Marlene's paintings are not art at all.

One of the most well known drippers of the 20th century is the painter Jackson Pollock. His rebellion style of painting was based on 'dripping' and 'pouring' paint upon the canvas. Many have asked the question: 'Is it art, or ist the result coincidal?'

Brave New World author Aldous Huxley stated: 'You might ask when a drip-painting is finished. The artist could go on for ages...'
Apparently Pollock himself struggled with the question for all his life. One day he asked his wife, the artist Lee Krasner, to judge one of his paintings. Not to hear from her whether the painting was good or bad. But only to know 'Is this a painting?'

The answer had been given years before by the Belgian, surrealist painter René Magritte in his painting 'La trahison des images, 1928–29' (The Treachery of Images) which became famous for the statement written beneath the pipe he had painted: "Ceci n'est pas une pipe.", French for "This is not a pipe." In short, Magritte's statement means that the painting itself is not a pipe. 


(*) Dumas was born in South Africa, but as she lives and works in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, she is considered to be a Dutch artist. Once you're famous, you are easily and most of all conveniently incorporated in any nationality. That's the way it goes. Once you become president of the USA but your ancestors come from Kenya...