A local newspaper had two articles yesterday that challenge the nature of art, a Lego sculpture and a computer-drawn portrait.

The first one, a Lego construction that sells for $1,500, seems childish in its use of a child's toy and is potentially dangerous as anyone who has stepped on a Lego block knows.

The second, a computer-drawn portrait of Edmond de Belamy, seems derivative and rather blurry but sold for an astonishing $432,500. This might be a defining example of the computer acronym GIGO – garbage in, garbage out.

A third overall concern is the cost of some art, with Wikipedia listing almost 40 pieces sold for over $100m. Surely, a better use of that money might be to build a few hospitals. I know art is much broader in range and that I like as art works but at times it seems someone is playing a prank, a very expensive prank on the art world.

Turn the computer off, put the Lego blocks away and get out into the sun with some watercolour paints.

Dennis Fitzgerald
 Melbourne, Australia