Overheard more than once at one contemporary art show or another: “My toddler could paint that!!”

A few years ago I had the absolute pleasure of visiting the Milwaukee Art Museum while they had their  Rebels show, which included (among many others) Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Camille Pissaro, and my idol Vincent Van Gogh to name a few.  I was in absolute awe in viewing in person many of these paintings that i’ve idolized as an artist and art lover over the years. 

When sharing my awe over the show, I heard comments in different forms, about how simple some of the art seems, and how “anyone could do that” sort of idea.  It really struck me at first, and I almost got trapped into that sort of thinking.