It's been a hellish night... hip pain playing up and the bedroom seemed too cold. So I came downstairs at 4.00am UK time, to have a look around the Internet and AuthorsDen.

So here I am, awake but very tired... this morning I am going to rant and rave about the mind-imploding ghastliness of some modern art, or what sometimes passes for art these days. And because the following is purely my opinion, not necessarily ringing true for everyone, I have not put it in an article. I will also add that I am an unashamed fan of Romantic art, as painted by the Pre-Raphaelites, also Art Nouveau and modern fantasy art, as painted by Boris Vallejo.

William Morris, from the glory days of Art Nouveau, once said:
"Have nothing in your home which is neither useful nor beautiful"
I wonder what he would make of some of the so-called art of this century. But I digress....

I recently saw a documentary about Jack Vettriano. It shocked me to discover that, although his work has a crisp, almost latter-day Toulouse Lautrec feel to it, and although his work is loved by so many people here in the UK (his work appears on calendars, posters and postcards everywhere) - the Tate Modern refuses to display his work. And this from a museum that thinks a latrine, by itself, is art... or that a sliver of preserved cow in a glass case is art. They can call that stuff art if they like, but would anyone want it in their house? I think not. I also saw a piece of "art" which seemed to be made of hundreds of tin cans on the floor, painted white, with a trail of red paint going through them. And, just as I suspected of its meaning, the lady artist declared that it was partly showing the trials of womens' menstural cycle. Yuk - who wants art about that?! Why... because it's there?? Because it evokes the quintessential essence of woman in all her gory? God knows. I only know that even if I had a huge, minimalist mansion, it would do nothing to enhance my livings space. As they say in America... eeeewwwww.

To me, if a piece of modern art is not actually attractive, or does not look as if it took much trouble to create, it is not art but a waste of space. When an artist says it's art "Because I say so", he or she is openly laughing at the art boffins.

So come on, Tate Modern - stop being snobbish and think about displaying the work of Jack Vettriano. He's a great British artist with a slick style that many of us love. To say he's kitsch just because he's "too popular" is a load of Jackson Pollocks.... let the people decide.


                         ------Ranting Blog ends-------