I’m greatly amused by the fact that my criticism of Warhol and his choice of subject in Mao somehow makes me an enemy of art (windupbird’s apparent take above) and that my criticism of Warhol for taking up Mao in his art is somehow akin to censorship and itself occupying quite a bit of verbiage.

That my choice in art is now the focus tells me how far off the rails this subject has gotten from the original issue - and how my criticism of Warhol for picking Mao as a subject for his art - which you might argue is ridicule (obdicut’s take as well) but I see as encouraging a banality of evil, doesn’t diminish my view on Warhol’s other works. It’s rather presumptuous to make that leap in logic when you know nothing of my background (or whether I studied art in school or grew up in a house where art was a hallowed and central theme in exposure to culture, or that I try to hit art museums wherever I go to immerse myself in culture).

So, because I disagree with Warhol’s choice to paint Mao makes me wrong? Gotcha. Because I see that Warhol’s choice in subject matter could lead to a bad outcome doesn’t make me argue for censorship.

But apparently I’m outnumbered by other self professed art critics who know better about Warhol and his intentions when he painted this.

So be it.