Originally Posted by Sharon Knettell

I think if we want to see a resurgence of representational or good painting we must challenge ourselves more, toss out tired concepts and dare to do something that may scare us a little.

Originally Posted by Allan Rahbek

Hi Carlos,
I agree with Michele, to disagree with you.

Allan

Originally Posted by Michele Rushworth

People here have been talking about the "resurgence of realism" for at least the last four years. Now, maybe that's just the realist painters talking, but I have been hearing a lot about it lately.

Originally Posted by Thomas Nash

The best advice I ever got about contests is to not take them too seriously whether you win or lose.

It's interesting to study what the "fashions" are and to understand the thinking of the world around us. We don't want to be oblivious to what is going on or what others think.

On the other hand, every artist might ask themselves whether they would do anything differently even if their style was not popular? If the answer is that no, you would continue to paint/draw/dance/sing the way you want to regardless of the current trends, then you don't need to invest much time worrying about what is or is not fashionable.

Originally Posted by Sharon Knettell

I think one of he reasons 'realistic' work has been the whipping boy of the art market is the hegemony of French Academic School. Because of the sexually repressed Victorians, nudes could only be disguised as goddesses or shown off in slave market scenes such as in the egregious paintings of Alma-Tadema. Manet had the courage to challenge that stranglehold with his wonderful painting "Olympia", a frank portrait of a courtesan.