My Summer Reading List -- Is That a Picasso on Your Fridge? by Dan Consiglio (Review)

 

  

Nov 2011
$12.95
978-1569759929
Trade Paper
5 1/4 x 8 1/4
128 pages
  Buy now from Amazon for only $12.95.

Synopsis:

 

Kids create them. Parents submit them. An art critic reviews them. And don’t think for one second he doesn’t know exactly what the hell he’s talking about!

Age can’t constrain greatness. Mozart composed at five. Picasso was painting at seven. If one doubts that young children reveal signs of genius every time they touch crayon to paper, just ask any parent about the artwork on their refrigerator door. But regular people don’t understand “art,” so it is impossible for them to see the difference between the work of an idiot savant and a kid who’s just an idiot. Luckily, New York art critic Salvatore Consiglio is here to separate the wheat from the chaff in the field of children’s art. Not afraid to call it as he sees it, Consiglio is brutally honest to any young artists who submitted “derivative” or “uninspired” work for this book — telling them straight out if it is time to hang up the Magic Markers. When the paint has dried, Is That a Picasso on Your Fridge? emerges as a bitingly hilarious parody of parents’ love for their kids’ scribbles and art critics’ adoration of their own narcissistic opinions.

My Thoughts:

 Now that Savannah has taking up doodling and coloring, our refrigerator is covered with her one of a kind works of art.  If you walk by fast, you would think you were looking at a Picasso -- hahaha, not!  :-)  But, what you will see is the passion and love for coloring by a 2 year old.  Savannah takes pride in her work, and even takes a few moments out of her busy play schedule to stop and admire her works of art.  She will even stop me at times, just to look at her pretty pictures.  As I stop and stare at her works of art, I often wonder, "Will she be the next famous painter?"  Who knows?  But, what I know is that Dan Consiglio tells it like it is when looking at children's artwork, and he does so in his book Is That a Picasso on Your Fridge?   I'll have to send him a copy of one of Savannah's best pieces and see what he thinks.  My husband and I think she has a talent, but we could be biased, as her parents. :-)

In Is That a Picasso on Your Fridge?, Dan Consiglio really critiques 60 works of art done by children.  He holds nothing back in weeding out the truly talented artists from those who are in it just to have fun and color.  After reading this book in under an hour, I placed it on the coffee table the other night.  When I returned from folding the laundry, my husband had picked it up and was reading it.  He loved the humor in Dan's critiques, and how he took each child's work of art, and critiqued it like it was hanging in an art gallery/museum.  This quick read and fun coffee table book would make for a great break from the norm summer reading list, or as a gift.  Do you see the potential in the children Dan critiqued, based upon their artwork submitted.  I don't know if it was just because I am a parent to young children who scribble and doodle, but I thought they were all good and had potential.  You'll have to pick up a copy of this book to see what I mean. :-)

Disclosure: I was sent a sample from the vendor in order to write up an honest review.  The views above are mine and mine alone.