I Believe in Art

I believe Canaletto never really left Venice. I believe Chris Offili trained elephants to poop on his paintings. I believe Picasso, when he was 12, could draw like Raphael; I believe I could draw like Picasso when I was 12. I believe Salvador Dali had shorter teeth and a longer leash than his ocelot.

I believe Christina was happy in her world. I believe Balthus was interested in little girls, only for painting. I believe Julian Schnabel only used plates that had accidentally broken through normal usage. I believe Rothko’s paintings look incredibly different when raised a single inch.

I believe Cezanne painted townscapes from wooden building block sets. I believe the sheep in Kansas were to blame for Frederic Remington. I believe Edvard Munch didn’t sleep well at night, and that he didn’t sleep well with Edward Gorey.

I believe Tracy Emin believes. I believe Georg Baselitz never tilts his head. I believe Patrick Heron liked to work in the garden once in a while. I believe Georges Braque read the newspapers.

I believe the shark was asking for it. I believe the Arnolfinis weren’t happy. I believe Dada was poignant. I believe Grandma Moses was a very good Grandma. I believe Mondrian went around the bend.

I believe posters look good without frames and that frames look good without posters. I believe Andy Warhol shot J.R. Ewing. I believe Thomas Hart Benton had a very small car.

I believe every Rembrandt can be improved with a good wipe. I believe Bridget Riley didn’t wear glasses, and neither did El Greco. I believe Giacometti slipped quietly out of the room.

I believe Elvis drank Campbell’s soup, in moderation. I believe Sunflowers owe us. I believe Monet couldn’t find a needle. I believe Audubon used to take bread to the park for the ducks.

I believe Walter Sickert was handy with a palette knife. I believe Post-Impressionism came at the wrong time. I believe Van Gogh saw stars in the daytime. I believe Arcimboldo ate well but Egon Schiele did not.

I believe the Post-Modernists didn’t see the point. I believe that Georges Seurat did. I believe Vermeer wasn’t a man for the Polaroid. I believe Grant Wood’s sister was seeing the dentist.

I believe in me. I believe in you. And you know I believe in art. I believe in truth, though I lie a lot. I feel the pain from the sell and mart. But no matter what you put me through I'll still believe in art. I love your art action. Art's just an abstraction. No talking, just painting. Painting your art action.

Paul Dorrell says:

You're the one creating the work. You're the one who has to believe in yourself. You're the one who has to know whether your work is any good.