Bob Ross' Landscape Oil Paintings: Art Debate

Hear a debate between two artists discussing Bob Ross' paintings and legacy as an artist. Bob Ross' oil paintings created during the the television series "The Joy of Painting" from 1983-1994 .

In "Crit Clash," we assign a point of view to each artist for the purposes of this debate. These views are not necessarily what Prof Lieu and Jordan think about Bob Ross' artwork in real life by the way, so you might see them making statements they wouldn't normally make! Debate by RISD Adjunct Professor Clara Lieu and Art Prof Teaching Artist Jordan McCracken-Foster.

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Clara Lieu was an Adjunct Professor at the Rhode Island School of Design from 2007-2020. Her artwork has been exhibited at the International Print Center NY, the Currier Museum, Childs Gallery, the Davis Museum, and more. Lieu received an artist fellowship from the MA Cultural Council, has written for the NY Times, and lectured at Brown University, the NAEA conference, and in Vancouver & China. She has been profiled in Artsy, Hyperallergic, KPCC, & WBUR.

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[carm]

I had a painting professor who HATED him. During one class she went on a rant about him and she was vicious! I mean, I understand that his style is considered generic but to have such hate for him is something I couldn't, and still don't, understand. He inspired people, who would never think twice about picking up a brush, to make their own oil paintings. 
I have no idea how many people in this country actually go to museums, galleries or take art classes regularly but he at least got people to want to create. I don't think he was talking to formally trained artists, he was talking to regular folk.
When artists start talking crap about him and his style it makes it seem like they're just obnoxious. People understand what he's making.

[BrandFaina]

I think the summary of the discussion would be the question: what is art? While professor Lieu was talking about elite art... Bob Ross was teaching mass art. Yes, the ordinary folks he was teaching to create, might never see their works in a museum, however, this form of craft/art has the right to exist.

[KURTlStrent]

First of all, dentists need paintings. Hospitals need paintings. You can make a living doing landscape paintings for no other purpose than to dress up an office. I don't see anything wrong with that. Not all art needs to be created with the intent to hang in a museum. Second, I see what Bob Ross did as a starting off point for students. Let's say you have someone who feels they have no artist ability and no interest in creating art. They see a Bob Ross video and say "I'll give that a try." Now, they know how to blend colors and paint in perspective. What if, after they learn that, they start expanding on it and then go on to actually paint things that CAN hang in a museum? Whatever inspires people to start painting is a good thing. If all a person ever did was copy directly from a Bob Ross tutorial, then yes, that's not great. But just getting someone to pick up a brush for the first time could lead to something great.

[JIKitty]

Bob Ross Paintings were never attended to be "real art". They were therapy. Quote: "Having held military positions that required him to be, in his own words, "tough" and "mean", "the guy who makes you scrub the latrine, the guy who makes you make your bed, the guy who screams at you for being late to work." Ross decided that if he ever left the military, he would never yell or raise his voice again." When you watch him, it's like he overcompensates. Anyways, most people watched him to relaxe. And I think, that's exactly what he wanted them to do. He didn't care, whether his pieces were considered art or made anyone think. He just wanted peace and to be a nice person.

[annagraceartist]

Art doesn't have to be super deep to be art. It could just be your own interpretation of reality in a way that you enjoy or you think is beautiful. Bob Ross wasn't trying to communicate deep meanings through his art like the art you'd see fine artists doing, he was simply painting an interpretation of life in a way he enjoyed. That is perfectly valid, even if it's not in the same category as fine art.

[linseybachko]

My daughter and I watch Bob Ross all the time (it's by far her favorite show and she's only 5). When we paint together, she quotes him all the time saying stuff like, "We don't know where this little tree lives so let's just put him here, " or "This is my world and I can make it however I want so I'm going to make a happy sky." I think this is what makes Ross a true master - not that his skill was perfect or his paintings were worth millions, but that he created a world with his show than empowered people to pick up a brush, look at a canvas, and say to themselves, "What kind of world do I want to create?" That question transposes to daily life so easily and encourages us all to create the world we want to live in through our actions. That, in my mind, is worth far more than any painting could ever be worth regardless of which gallery or museum displays it.

[supersands]

His "career" was the Air Force. He didn't take up painting until after his retirement.

[MEitniear]

Alla prima is not a shallow form of oil painting. Van Gogh was an alla prima painter!

[johnfisherart]

What a way to find out Bob Ross is dead...
I thought he was a little old man, living his best life in a log cabin in the mountains :'(

[trippstephens]

I don’t agree with the museum judgement. To get into museums has more to do with who you know vs quality of art.

[Jealod]

Many of her arguments demonstrate her complete lack of understanding and appreciation for the time constraints and the medium constraints (tv in the 80’s and early 90’s) that Ross had to contend with. Ross never claimed his work was fine art, and he commented many times that he wasn’t proficient in portraiture. Lastly, if you actually watch his videos he spoke many times about alla prima as only one way to use oil paint, and that he specifically chose to teach alla prima so that students could feel as tough they accomplished something sooner than later and that more traditional painting was much more labor intensive and required a deeper knowledge of the medium itself. He never tried to pass of alla prima as his invention and encouraged people to use the technique as a way to enjoy oil paints while suggesting more detailed study for those with more time or interest.

[EyenGardner]

Prof Lieu you are wrong. He was a true inspiration to generations. There is a lot of 🗑 at museums. He painted in 20 minutes. He was not trying to be in a museum. He was trying to teach us to explore our creativity as kids.

[supersands]

The Smithsonian just bought all of his paintings from the Ross family.

[brandongorin]

The paintings aren’t really the end product. The videos are the end product. Also this could have been researched better.

[BrandFaina]

Just to clarify. I do not have the expertise or appropriate skills to evaluate Bob Ross's professional style. Not yet. And, on a personal level, I do not know about museums, but I would not put his paintings above my sofa, just not my style. However, regardless of the fact, was his technique poor or not, or brand created by the media or not, what he did, IMHO, revolutionary. Indeed, Bob Ross did not explain what brushes, paint, canvases he used or demonstrated a great technique for 30 min given (simply not realistic, and Public TV is not RISD). But he definitely inspired people to go to Michaels, figure out what they need and create. I would absolutely agree: "On the other hand, I do appreciate his engagement with the general public. He brought art into everyone's lives, made it accessible and fun, and I think that alone is commendable. -Prof Lieu

[Marnige]

I feel that Bob Ross really reminds me of many photographers today. They all follow a very specific style to cater an audience. If they diverge from their style, people would very quickly leave them.

[lisah]

I'm imagining the Artprof staff meeting. Let's Crit Clash Bob Ross! All ayes! Who wants to be Con? Crickets.

[danielahodorogea]

I do not have any art studies, I did not hold a brush since 7th grade and 2 years ago my sister showed me Bob Ross on YouTube and I was mesmerized. I said: I could do that... and I did at 40 years old. I do not consider myself artist, but I am painting ever since.
Btw I subscribed to this channel, because I want to expand. So basically you have to thank Bob Ross for that.

[fogdragon]

I think him being a household name this many years after his death really says something about the staying power of his art. That said I don't think he needs to be in museums necessarily since he is already immortalized in his videos.

[jbspiszer]

My favorite thing about Bob Ross is how he made art feel approachable to those who might find it intimidating.