Sir, – In reference to the comments by Seán Scully in the back page of Weekend review (27th June), I doubt if any Irish artist was jealous of the fact that he was invited by the National Gallery to have a five-room retrospective for his 70th birthday.
He goes on to say if these (jealous) artists were offered an exhibition in the National Gallery they wouldn’t say no.
Did Mr Scully receive an invitation from Moma in New York, his adopted city, to have a five-room retrospective for his 70th birthday or the Tate in London where he was reared?
It occurs to me that he opted to play for Ireland like many’s the footballer reared in England who didn’t make it on his home turf.
Mr Scully goes on to rubbish Picasso for saying that art is war.
Of course all great art is subversive, warlike and political but there is no greater warzone in the visual arts than the international art market which is controlled by the taste of billionaire buyers and the hapless bureaucratic academics who give them validation in exchange for financial support, because they are too poor to remain independent, let down by national governments (like our own) who pay no more that lip service to the arts.
Artists have learned to keep their noses clean and make artwork that will not offend or challenge the conservative politics of the billionaire patron. – Yours, etc, CONSTANCE SHORT Blackrock, Co Louth.