In a recent interview with Independent, artist Iakovos "Jake" Chapman (one half of the Chapman Brothers) said some pretty controversial things about children, their inability to appreciate art, and how "arrogant" their parents are to take them to galleries in the first place.
In the interview, Chapman disagreed with the "Picasso-esque notion that when you draw it's about achieving some kind of childish state," and said that it's a "total waste of time" for parents to take their kids to art galleries, adding that placing them in front of the great Jackson Pollock's work is an "insult." Independent points out that Chapman is a father of three, but that didn't stop the eldest Chapman brother from putting down the entire next generation of artists.
In addressing people who compare Matisse's work to that of a child, the 47-year-old said that there is "no connection" and that "anyone who says there is, is less than a village idiot... It's like saying a child will understand a Cubist painting because a Cubist painting is childlike." The quote we love the most from the article is when Chapman asserted that "children are not human yet."
Of course, spokespersons for art institutions including the National Gallery and London's Royal Academy of Arts have responded to say how valuable art is for children, and journalists have called him a snob for his opinions, but here's what other artists and the public had to say via Twitter:
Jake Chapman says children can't enjoy or understand complex art. Luckily, his art isn't complex. http://t.co/Yfl1z7giEB
— Dan Thompson (@artistsmakers) August 4, 2014
Jake Chapman thinks children aren't human yet. I don't think he is.
— Gill (@faceofboe) August 4, 2014
Disheartened by Jake Chapman's opinion on place of children in art galleries. Early exposure to culture so important. It changed my life.
— DM Joseph Wright (@DMJosephWright) August 6, 2014
How fortunate for Jake Chapman that I'm limited to 140 characters. What an arrogant, pretentious idiot. He's more pillock than Pollock.
— Jon Wood (@Jonwoodscience) August 4, 2014
One smart person on Twitter recalled a Guardian article from 2010 that spoke about the Chapman brothers creating work for children...one guess where it was shown:
The Chapman brothers made art for children and put it... in a gallery. http://t.co/dadD1yqES2
— Rosie Fuller (@Rosieeatsjam) August 4, 2014
[via Guardian]
