Talking on the point of the artist Repin as a true kitch artist -
"There is no longer any question of Picasso or icons. Repin is what the peasant wants, and nothing else but Repin that the peasant is protected from the products of American capitalism, for he would not stand a chance next to a Saturday Evening Post cover by Norman Rockwell."
Greenberg, C (1939) 'Avant-garde and kitch' in Harrison, C. and Wood, P. (2000) ' Art in Theory: 1980 - 1990. Oxford, Blackwell.
Although kitch is considered to be the modern 'high culture' the text above compares firstly the works of Repin and Picasso to each other, giving the impression that the work of Picasso is fake and less in value than that of Repin. Although this is an important and quite true point in the text it then goes on to then compare the work of Repin and Norman Rockwell, and then contradicts itself by indicating that Repin is now the fake one.
The Saturday Evening Post work by Norman Rockwell shows a trueness in a kitch form, the work does not have the traditional mass produced look to it even though it is for a national newsapaper. The viewer feels a connection with the everyday scenes and as though it is them, their friend and their family portrait which should be therefore taken out of the paper and framed and put on their wall. Very kitch.
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