Irrespective of cost, however, a work of art (whether painting, play or opera) can inspire passion in the spectator and be a benchmark in his/her relationship with others. The most famouse example, perhaps, in the drama critic Kenneth Tynan who wrote Look Back in Anger that he did not think he could love anyone who did not share his admiration for John Osborne’s play. In “ART”, Serge shares Tynan’s position and regards Marc’s hostile reaction to his painting as an attack, not just on his taste in pictures but on himself. Given that abstract art relies on the response of the artist, judging a painting becomes, in effect, a test of the caracter of the judge and it is this that makes the clash of opinion between the friends so violent. “ART” reflects not just the specific debate between supporters of figurative and abstract art but this wider issue of individuals’ relationships with each other, asking the same questions of authenticity and truth: should one really tell a friend the truth about something that matters to him, be it a painting or a lover? Or should one accept that value lies in the eye of the beholder and thus refrain from making hostile comment? If subjective opinion is purest measurement of the value of a work of art, is a friendship worth a few white lies?
Paul Webb