Sir, - Tessa Lefroy's letter (January 3rd) is one that I would have liked to have written myself. In well chosen words, she gets to the core of what - in many people's opinion - is wrong with contemporary art.
Surely the point that she makes about skill, or the lack of it, is so obvious that it hardly needs explaining. What does need explaining is how the self indulgent dauber gets to make it in the first place, and how the public - or some of them anyway - seem to accept it.
Recognition comes with promotion and presentation. We could all daub away to our hearts content, out fat chance of getting hung in the IMMA or the Tate Gallery.
I would love to be a fly on the wall listening to the selectors while they decide that that big white board streaked with liverish stripes, and garnished with a black dot in one corner, is more worthy of their approval than the big black canvas complete with off centre white blot. What do they say, for God's sake? - Yours, etc.,
Galtrim,
Dunsany, Co Meath.