2 year old fool art community *PICS*

[Ardentfrost]

Toddler fools the art world into buying his tomato ketchup paintings

To the untrained eye, they appear to be simple daubs that could have been created by a two year old. Which is precisely what they are.

But that didn't stop the supposed experts falling over themselves to acclaim them.

The toddler in question is Freddie Linsky, who has fooled the art world into buying and asking to exhibit his paintings.

Freddie's efforts, which include works using tomato ketchup composed while sitting on his high chair, were posted by his mother Estelle Lovatt on collector Charles Saatchi's online gallery.

She claimed her son was an art critic and and a familiar face at major exhibitions, and added ludicrously overblown captions to his offerings.

One creation of random red and green splodges called Sunrise was captioned: "A bold use of colour. Inspired by the 'plein air' habit of painting by Monet, drawing on the natural world that surrounds us all."

And his black scrawlings in a work entitled The Best Loved Elephant are captioned:

"The striking use of oriental calligraphy has the kanji-like characters stampeding from the page, showing the new ascent of the East. It is one of Linsky's most experimental works."

Freddie is said to favour the "spot and blotch" technique pioneered by the American abstract expressionism movement in the 1950s.

The young artist is said on Saatchi Online to have "dedicated his whole life to art".

His mother wrote: "Freddie W R Linsky paints over and over, making us curious to know what is going on.

"It seems that one stroke is being repeated - the same stroke or one very close to it, hence the possibility of the infinite opening up of the structure of time."

Freddie's mother, a lecturer at Hampstead School of Art and a freelance art critic, said she never dreamt anyone would be duped by her over-the-top descriptions.

But a Manchester artist and collector paid £20 for one of Freddie's works and a gallery in Berlin wanted him to showcase his talents.

She said: "Freddie has been coming with me to galleries since he was three months old. and from eight months he was dipping his fingers into paint and able to hold a brush loosely.

"He sits on his high chair with a piece of paper and gets very excited at the mess he gets to make.

He has progressed from ketchup to acrylics on paper or canvas. I wondered whether the art world would be encouraging or dismissive if I showed his work online.

"I thought people would figure it out. But a collector paid £20 for The Best Loved Elephant. He said he liked the flow and energy of the picture.

"A gallery in Berlin emailed, saying they were having an exhibition and thought Freddie's work was of a high standard and would like him to participate.

"I wrote on his behalf thanking them and asked them to let us know how their plans progress. They still don't know he's only two."


"The Best Loved Elephant" sold for 20 pounds.


"Sunrise" described as being 'Inspired by Monet'


Freddie working on his art

When I read this, a few things happened:

First, I 'd because the fact that this mom and art critic could completely fleece the modern art community is fucking epic. How bad is it that this kid's art is getting critical acclaim and being shown along side other modern artists who spend their lives doing this? Sure, 20 pounds isn't much (like, $50), but considering he's how old?

Second, the kid's art does look cool. I mean, I wouldn't be comparing it to Monet or anything, but I would so display art like that in my house if my own kid did it (I wouldn't pay for it from some other person's kid though). Just give a kid a canvas, paint brush, and a bunch of bold, primary color or various shades of gray paints and tell them to go to town. Not a bad idea at all

[JaJae]

I find this hilarious. I never understood the whole abstract art thing. I really think it's just a bunch of intellectuals trying to convince themselves that they're more intellectual than others. This kinda slaps them in the face to prove it.

[garbagemanlb]

Originally Posted by JaJae

I find this hilarious. I never understood the whole abstract art thing. I really think it's just a bunch of intellectuals trying to convince themselves that they're more intellectual than others. This kinda slaps them in the face to prove it.

I could take a shit on a piece of paper, call it art, and no one could argue with me. It's 'abstract'.

[motivez]

I like some abstract art for the color combinations (ie: ooo, pretty colors!), not because it has any depth or meaning.. IMO that whole aspect is pretty much bullshit.

You can explain what you were feeling when you made it, but if lew makes an abstract art piece, I can't legitimately interpret the red smudge on the left corner to indicate his burning desire to see Ron Paul win the Republican nomination...

[Stylerod]

These stories are always great. I remember one that was displayed at a museum for quite a while before someone realized it was upside down and another where a museum displayed the store bought STAND that the artist gave them to set his piece on instead of his art.

It is quite a joke many times.

[jimeigh]

Originally Posted by JaJae

I really think it's just a bunch of intellectuals trying to convince themselves that they're more intellectual than others. This kinda slaps them in the face to prove it.

.


there was also a good story about some truck driver lady who found a Jackson Pollock in a dump somewhere and was trying to sell it. no one in "the art community" believed her that it was a jackson pollock for some crappy reasons like, "the lines dont SING like in a jackson pollock painting!"

they they did some tests, including tests for fingerprints, and discovered that it was, in fact, a jackson pollock. so she's gonna get a couple million for it.

[RMNIXON]

I don't think the kid "fooled" anybody. He just exposed them for being the fools that they have been for a very long time now.

[RMNIXON]

Originally Posted by JaJae

I find this hilarious. I never understood the whole abstract art thing. I really think it's just a bunch of intellectuals trying to convince themselves that they're more intellectual than others. This kinda slaps them in the face to prove it.

It is just like the Emperors New Clothes. You are just some inbred hick if you don't see the inner value and expression in all this new art. I actually like some of it, but I am not going to go gaga over the interpretation of inner meaning and pay six figures or more for it.

[Grouch]

"Art" has been a joke for the last 50 years or so. So it doesn't surprise me that there are morons out there who think shit like that is great.

Good going for the kid and his family though.

[Grouch]

I think the picture of the kid is actually better than some of the art he made.

[Donkey®]

Art is subjective.

[jimeigh]

Originally Posted by Donkey®

Art is subjective.

how much would you pay for either of those two pictures?

[Roonie]

The best loved elephant is good stuff and I would pay at least $20-$50 for it too. I have been to a lot of art musuems all around the world. With 50 works that look like crap you can sometimes get one that is truly good. Good for him.

[Publius]

i actually like the stuff. I'm a fan of the abstract, no matter how it came to be.

That said, I don't think I'd pay to have the kid's paintings on my wall.

[jimeigh]

Originally Posted by Roonie

d I would pay at least $20-$50 for it too.

[motivez]

Originally Posted by jimeigh

If he likes the way the painting looks, why should he cares who made it?

[jimeigh]

Originally Posted by motivez

If he likes the way the painting looks, why should he cares who made it?

i never said that he should.

i was laughing spending "at least $20-$50" on it. i dont think it's worth that much.

he does, so he can feel free to ignore me.

but all the same.

[Scrum]

Art is just like collectibles. It's worth whatever someone will pay for it.

[Ardentfrost]

I wouldn't want some random kid's paintings on my wall... I like the kid's stuff, but I'd much rather my own kid do it

[RMNIXON]

Originally Posted by Roonie

The best loved elephant is good stuff and I would pay at least $20-$50 for it too. I have been to a lot of art musuems all around the world. With 50 works that look like crap you can sometimes get one that is truly good. Good for him.

I prefer "sunrise" myself.