The red with black writing variant is one of my favourite prints, easily tolerated😀

Queen Vic

WSM no doubt

I gotta say, even if it's not a "print", I thought the boxset to be quite average...

Monkey Queen, followed by IFTL

If anyone has any of the least favourite prints, im willing to take them off your hands for a reasonable price (i know... how generous am I)

Why so?

On an art forum, this seems like the wrong reason for abstaining from saying anything negative.

You may be conflating the actual artwork with the underlying gift gesture. I see no conflict in criticising the former while simultaneously applauding the latter.

That said, regarding the riot van print, I do like it myself. It's both knowingly kitsch and relevant to the gift recipients, depicting one of the centrepiece sculptures at their former place of work.

Different artistic intent and theme entirely, but for me the kitschiness of the image brings to mind Banksy's pastiche of a Thomas Kinkade cottage scene (Santa's Ghetto 2006?) — with Hansel and Gretel, and Michael Jackson as the paedo-witch.

What interests me most here is why you tried so hard.

Do you feel the image is one that you should like?

That's a worthwhile observation. In the interests of debate, I wonder where mawkish sentimentalism would feature on a scale of harmfulness. Also, I wonder if that's the primary response the image provokes. Looked at in a certain way it's certainly wistful and somewhat nostalgic, but I think there's a bit more to it than that. I think it has something worthwhile to say about the loss of innocence and the impossibility of holding onto one's dreams. There's also something in it about abandonment. The girl is surely reaching out for love — she senses it's there somewhere, but it's always hovering just beyond her grasp.

I was with you until you started on about the Scorpions...

We'll burn the sky, ftw.

Nicely written. Thanks for this.

Regarding the scale of harmfulness, I suppose that comes down to context. As well as the objectives or desired results (to the extent they exist) of each viewer.

If one objective is, say, revolution, then artworks appealing to sentimentality may be seen as very harmful to such a cause. Introspection and nostalgia kill all sense of urgency. As with navel-gazing, they're unlikely to provoke social change.

Of course, similar arguments can be made about old age, having family members who are your dependants, being in a position of physical comfort, financial security, and generally being content in life.

__________


With respect to possible interpretations for Girl and Balloon, I've always appreciated its ambiguity.

As mentioned in this post, one can easily imagine the girl having lost her heart-shaped balloon in a gust of wind (with all the clichés that could symbolise). But she can also be viewed as being empowered, in control. As having willingly released the balloon — thereby setting it free.

Napalm