The People's Painting

Is it possible to make a painting on the basis of democratic principles? The two Russian avant-garde artists Vitaly Komar and Alex Melamid thought it was, so they made a trip across England to see what the result would be. They asked a large number of British people questions like: Should a painting have the size of a book, a washing machine or a car? What is your favourite colour? Everyone was asked the same questions, from miners to housewives to fashion designers to witches. All answers were statistically processed and on the basis of the results the two New York-based artists created a painting with many blue and green tones, with hills and a small lake, as well as a small portrait of Winston Churchill. It says something about the British taste, but opinions differ greatly about the question whether this is art. In any case, the experiment has generated a surprising and satirical portrait of the British society.