GET REAL, ART SNOB!

We are becoming increasingly incensed over the tone of the art reviews appearing in Calendar. Specifically, William Wilson’s review of “Russia, the Land, the People” (“Those Russians Have Come,” July 19).

It may come as a surprise to Wilson, but there is a vast contingent of the population that likes their art realistic. It’s possible, in fact, to like this art and not even be . . . “a bused-in lady tourist from Dubuque.” (I’m paraphrasing here.) Aside from being a gross insult to the entire midsection of the country, it has absolutely no bearing on his review, except to point out his elitist attitude about academic realistic art.

We like art that is realistic. That doesn’t make it bad and that doesn’t make it wrong. It can, in fact, be quite good. It can be good even without denigrating it to the level of “illustration” and “kitsch.” It is a pleasure to see art in which the artist has been trained in the traditional methods of light, color theory, line, composition, etc. Until recently, this had been the standard against which artists were judged.

Do not judge this show in comparison to “those bright mosaics of color by Kandinsky, Malevich and Gontcharova.” Judge this show on its own merits.

ANITA FREILER

MICHAEL RICH

TERRY SULLIVAN

Burbank