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Kim,
You put your finger on it. You are sensitive enough to realize that Texas cowboy pictures are not you. Doing paid portrait of westerners are important of your bottom line. That is where you live.
If you want to paint a beautiful landscape, feel free to paint it. If it is a good work of art it will stand on its own a does not need any kitschy baggage like, 'my life among the peasants'.
When you have a choice you do pictures like "See No Evil..." That is something you obviously love to do.
As to street scenes, how many more do we need, the subject has become trite and overworked. I think every country has been covered. I am sure if there was a street scene in Antarctica, someone would find away to do it.
I think artists, especially representational ones have become intellectually lazy. They keep repeating the same themes over and over again. Native peasants, Indians with back lighting and dashes of impressionism. The field is saturated. These and the pictures of the Tibetans are no more than illustrations. I think we have to consider more and paint less.
Enzie,
I think you should try to find some photographs of Mathieu Ricard and judge for yourself. They are exquisite and take your breath away. I think you would see the difference. It is hard to put in words,
I think my objection stems from the fact that he is painting only their surface, their picturesqueness, the easy aspect of representing a culture. The cheap snapshot. The artist is not a peasant, he is only exploiting them.
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