The same rules apply to art appreciation that apply to art; there are no rules. Because there are no rules, my opinions are irrelevant. Nonetheless, I do know what I like and why I like it. I do have favorite artists. When I say favorite artists, I mean there are some artists’ paintings that I like more, in general, than that produced by others. What I really have are favorite paintings, which is truer to the honest appreciation of art than a blanket statement about a particular artist. Art can be appreciated in three ways. It can speak directly to one’s soul. If this is the case, there is no need for

further analysis. It can speak to one’s mind, in which the topic expressed is one of intellectual interest or the technique reveals virtuosity, and it can speak to one’s eyes, in which the vision of the piece is delicious. Although it is not wrong art, because wrong art does not exist, there is some art that befuddles me. One school that leaves me cold is photorealism. While it does display an incredible virtuosity, it seems to me that photorealism is best accomplished by photography. At the other extreme is minimalism. An example is Ad Reinhardt's black paintings. While this did stretch the boundary of art, it requires a substantial input from the viewer who is recreating the painting to achieve insight, pleasure or appreciation.

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To me, an image is much more interesting if it is processed by an artist's brain. The true power of art is that it can reveal images that can only be seen through an artist's creativity. There is no place in the world one can take a photograph of imagination. Although I declare this with a blush of embarrassment, my favorite art is my own. This is not surprising. When it comes to me, I understand the art perfectly and can appreciate every detail. If another artist does not believe the same about him or herself, I can only conclude that he or she is not being forthright.