We’re used to much of the fare on television reduced to formulaic reality show competition. Now art too has become a competition. This live event is apparently quite popular.

To me, art, and painting in particular, has always been something special. I recall as a high school student discovering the works of a number of Toronto painters, thinking wow what a fantastic world of ideas out there. I’d love to be part of that conversation.  Perhaps I was already on my way to becoming an elitist art snob. The reality though is that painting isn’t something that hits home in the popular imagination. For instance, I’ll bet if you tried to strike up a conversation in your workplace about Canadian painting, your conversation would be short. You would likely even encounter those who believe that most of the cultural thought of the last century has been developed by charletons out to dupe the unsuspecting public with their tricky ideas. I try not to argue with those guys any more.

A while back I told an aquaintance that I destroyed some paintings and she was appalled that I would do such a thing. But nobody wants them, I told her. I can’t afford to store them forever. Yes, but they’re your paintings. You’ve created them. You have a responsibility to keep them. I see. Do you hang any paintings in your house? Well, no. Would you like to hang a few of my paintings? Um, well I can’t really do that now. I’m um going to renovate. Oh, OK.

So let’s have an art battle. Canada’s next top painter. So you think you can paint? Of course there needs to be a panel of smug judges and a beautiful host.

There. That feels better.