Silver Linings

alike. I'm sure your clients will love them, of course. They're only one step beyond putting posters on their walls, anyway. This stuff will probably look like great art to them.”
    “Ariel, you are elitist and self-centered and you've got a really bad case of tunnel vision when it comes to art. What is it with you? You think the only good art is the kind that does nothing more than express the artist's personal neurosis? I've got news for you, you and your kind wouldn't have survived in business for more than five minutes during the Renaissance.”
    Ariel, not surprisingly, looked taken aback at the unexpected attack. It was axiomatic in the Sharpe family that Mattie did not disagree on matters of artistic taste with the other members of her clan. It was understood she did not have a proper grasp of the subject.
    “For heaven's sake, Mattie, there's no need to get all worked up about it. Besides, I want to talk to you about something else entirely.”
    But Mattie was all worked up. It felt good to be arguing with Ariel. Odd how she found herself doing it more and more frequently of late. Ever since she had come back from the islands, in fact.
    “You know something?” Mattie snapped. “Back in the good old days people understood what art was supposed to do. It was supposed to appeal to them. It was supposed to speak to them, not just to the artist. It was supposed to mean something important, something universal. It was supposed to be beautiful. And it was supposed to represent certain ideals and values and hopes and dreams.”
    “Really, Mattie, I think this has gone far enough.”
    “Back then people knew good art when they saw it, and that's what they bought. Artists created work to please the customer, and you can't deny that some of the greatest art in the world was produced under those conditions. Nowadays you elitist insiders in the art world are trying to tell the customer what he's supposed to like, and you've managed to cow a lot of them into buying what you tell them is good art. But my customers are different. They're buying what they really want to buy, stuff they enjoy hanging in their homes.”
    “Mattie, this is crazy. I don't want to discuss the art establishment with you.”
    “ Take a close look at Silk Taggert's paintings and tell me they're bad art !” Mattie yelled.
    “Mattie, for heaven's sake, keep your voice down,” Ariel hissed.
    “Why should I? It feels good to yell at you. I think I'm releasing a great deal of stress this way. Years of it, in fact. Look at Silk's pictures, damn it.”
    “All right, all right, I'm looking at them. Get a grip on yourself, will you? It's not like you to be so…so emotional.” Ariel turned to study the paintings. She peered at them for two or three long minutes. Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
    “Well?” Mattie challenged. “Are you going to call them boring?”
    “No,” Ariel admitted reluctantly. “They're not boring. This guy has talent, I'll grant you that.”
    “A lot of talent.”
    “Okay, okay. A lot of talent. Too bad he's wasting it on pretty seascapes and landscapes.”
    “The fact that he's using familiar subjects is what makes his work so accessible. Can't you understand that? It makes the pictures work on several different levels. The appeal ranges from the physically attractive to the mentally stimulating. People, real people, like art that does all that. And I'll tell you something else, Ariel. This is just the sort of appeal Flynn would have if he tried doing more realistic art.”
    Ariel whirled on her, raw fury in her eyes. “Don't you dare try to seduce Flynn into doing this kind of thing for you. Do you hear me? Don't you dare.”
    Mattie groaned, her anger evaporating. “Forget it. Look, Ariel, I've really got a lot of work to do here before the show. If you don't mind, I'd like to get to it.”
    Ariel hesitated. “Here, I'll give you a hand. I think you're right about grouping the pictures by subject. I'll handle the jungle scenes.”
    Mattie stared at her in astonishment. “Thank you.”
    “Don't look so amazed. I'm not a bitch goddess all the time, you know. I told you I want to talk to you, and this looks like the only way I'm going to be able to do it.”
    “I was afraid there was an ulterior motive.” Mattie centered a painting of the harbor and stepped back to eye it. “Let's get on with it. What do you want to lecture me about?”
    “I want to know what you think you're doing getting engaged to