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AIBU?

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Original poster

Should I bin my friend's art?

410 replies

Joyjazz · 25/03/2024 20:39

My friend painted me a picture. The sentiment was lovely but I really hate it. It's not my taste and not in keeping with my house. I keep it behind the TV and hang it whenever she comes to visit so I don't hurt her feelings as she is really proud of this piece and spent many weeks making it. I'm moving to a new house and I don't want to be carrying things that I don't like or want to my new home. I want to take the frame and bin the actual painting. She's a good friend and she is likely to visit and possibly ask where the art is.

AIBU to put the painting in the bin?

OP posts:
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7
cordelia16 · 26/03/2024 15:52

Many many years ago I was heavily into making collages using images from magazines. I made one each for my mother and sister, showcasing things I knew they liked (dollhouses, certain flowers, rooms etc). Two years ago my sister asked me if I would mind if she didn't keep it, as her interests had moved on and she had no place to hang it. I was absolutely fine with it. For me, I created it out of love but once it left my hands it belonged to my sister. She was then free to do with it what she wanted. A gift with forever strings is not really a gift.

In the end, she told me that she had taken a photo of it so that she would always see/remember what I had created.

Is that an option OP? Take a photo of the artwork - tell your friend that you love what she created and want a visual memory of it but just don't feel that it has a place in your new home.

Yulona · 26/03/2024 15:52

Bbq1 · 26/03/2024 12:32

She did pics ages back and apparently it turned out it's a picture from an episode of Friends.

Op, do you actually own a painting that your friend gifted you or is your whole Aibu a joke?

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Has everyone taken some sort of dense pill today?!?!

housethatbuiltme · 26/03/2024 15:47

Are you in a sitcome... I'm pretty sure both 'friends' and 'big bang theory' had this storyline lol.

cordelia16 · 26/03/2024 15:46

PossumintheHouse · 26/03/2024 12:41

For those who are confused, here is an actual photo of the OP with the artwork in question.

that's actually Glynnis :)

Notellinganyone · 26/03/2024 15:45

That is horrific!

tara66 · 26/03/2024 15:43

Tell her it got lost by the removers - I've had so much stuff lost that way!

QueenBitch666 · 26/03/2024 15:42

MaybeRevisitYourWipingT3chnique · 26/03/2024 12:56

I realise that love of art is utterly individual, and its enjoyment fiercely personal; but I can't think there is ANY special piece that somebody has carefully and skilfully toiled over for hours, days, weeks that doesn't thus automatically earn the right to be considered objectively a work of beauty for all and forever.

Is this the one on eBay?!

LavenderPup · 26/03/2024 15:39

MaybeRevisitYourWipingT3chnique · 26/03/2024 14:39

Genuine question to arty people: would you take it as an insult if you gave a friend a piece that you did for them (assuming not a toilet-related piece, whatever that may look like) and discovered that they'd hung it in the toilet?

Nope I’d be happy they hung it. But I don’t gift any artwork I keep it all lol. I’ve been asked to do commissions from F&F but said no, don’t want the hassle art is my therapy. I did photography years back and would gift that if someone particularly loved something as I printed them myself. Once offered a portrait photo to a friend knowing she might not like it, she didn’t like her hair down so I hung it up in my hallway. Just remembered I hung a watercolour painting in my bathroom years back that I was proud of :)

cannaecookrisotto · 26/03/2024 15:34

WotNoUserName · 25/03/2024 23:33

The best part of this thread is the people thinking that pic is the actual art and not a joke from an episode of Friends. Grin

I was more thinking of the giant picture Amy gave Penny in The Big Bang Theory.

Agree, it's fecking hilarious 🤣

CustardySergeant · 26/03/2024 15:28

RicePuddingWithCinnamon · 26/03/2024 15:00

Am allowed back on mumsnet?
I dont want to go to tattlelife. Is netmums still around?

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I'd like to forgive you, but I can't because your user name is wrong. It should be RicePuddingWithNutmeg. 😋

willWillSmithsmith · 26/03/2024 15:10

Bbq1 · 26/03/2024 12:32

She did pics ages back and apparently it turned out it's a picture from an episode of Friends.

Op, do you actually own a painting that your friend gifted you or is your whole Aibu a joke?

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She didn’t post a pic, someone else did.

I know it’s been corrected by several other posters but I just wanted to reiterate the fact as I can’t believe how many people didn’t understand the original post of the picture.

willWillSmithsmith · 26/03/2024 15:06

KimberleyClark · 26/03/2024 10:51

I’m also reminded of the Reginald Perrin series. Where after losing his job he opened a shop selling among other things the dreadful paintings of his dentist and osteopath and his son in law’s terrible home made wine, and ending up with a huge national chain with the USP “gifts for people you don’t like”.

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I loved that programme and the books. I think it might have been called Grot??

RicePuddingWithCinnamon · 26/03/2024 15:00

StructuredColumn · 26/03/2024 14:53

Report yourself and never attempt a joke on MN again.

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Am allowed back on mumsnet?
I dont want to go to tattlelife. Is netmums still around?

StructuredColumn · 26/03/2024 14:53

RicePuddingWithCinnamon · 26/03/2024 12:51

Sorry my childish joke has caused confusion 😩

Report yourself and never attempt a joke on MN again.

WiddlinDiddlin · 26/03/2024 14:42

Main bathroom, rarely used en-suite or downstairs loo that visitors use?

The rarely used en-suite, mm, bit miffed.
Main bathroom and downstairs where guests will see it, fine by me.

But then I'd put pics I like up where I can see 'em when im on the loo, because I have five minutes to gaze at them then!

Second spare bedrooms en-suite though... no ones seeing that!

PossumintheHouse · 26/03/2024 14:41

MaybeRevisitYourWipingT3chnique · 26/03/2024 14:39

Genuine question to arty people: would you take it as an insult if you gave a friend a piece that you did for them (assuming not a toilet-related piece, whatever that may look like) and discovered that they'd hung it in the toilet?

Nope. They're guaranteed to appreciate it every day.

MaybeRevisitYourWipingT3chnique · 26/03/2024 14:39

Genuine question to arty people: would you take it as an insult if you gave a friend a piece that you did for them (assuming not a toilet-related piece, whatever that may look like) and discovered that they'd hung it in the toilet?

Catandsquirrel · 26/03/2024 14:19

Don't bin it. Stick it in the loft and say you're rotating pictures if there's nowhere really unobtrusive to hang it. If there's absolutely no room offer it back after she spent ages on it. Hard to do but if she's genuinely proud of it and you care about her don't just put it out with the rubbish.

Fixerupper77 · 26/03/2024 14:15

RicePuddingWithCinnamon · 25/03/2024 20:50

Here it is

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HAAHAHAHA this is the first thing I thought of,

Monica, is that you?

GG1986 · 26/03/2024 14:12

I agree with the poster that said hang it in your bedroom and not on the wall where she might see it if she pops up to the toilet.

MaybeRevisitYourWipingT3chnique · 26/03/2024 14:11

Hartley99 · 26/03/2024 14:04

You can’t bin it, but she’s out of order if she expects you to hang it or display it in your house. People shouldn’t impose themselves like that. It really annoys me when people lend me a book and then keep asking if I’ve read it. I’ve got a whole pile of books I want to read. In fact, I’ve got books I bought ten years ago that I long to read but don’t have the time for. Same goes for films or even clothes. You can’t impose on people in that way. It’s bad manners.

Yes, I completely agree with this. I would always offer to lend something "if you're interested - now/in future/or not at all!"

I also despair of people on quiz shows who aren't sure of an answer and say "Ooh, my husband/daughter/grandma/friend will kill me if I get this wrong, as they're a massive football/cooking/Coronation Street/royal/fashion/Beatles fan". Why would anybody be angry, surprised or saddened that a different person has different interests from them?

Dahlia444 · 26/03/2024 14:08

This thread is hilarious. Such confusion. Needed a laugh.
FWIW I had a similar situation but got unwittingly caught out having implied but not directly stated that art was going to be displayed in place A. Art was then observed sometime later tucked away in place B as I forgot to move it. Awkward silence. We are still friends (I think).

CactusMactus · 26/03/2024 14:06

We all stick shite up on the fridge the kids have done or use the tea cosy MIL knitted. Suck it up. Be nice.

Bbq1 · 26/03/2024 14:05

MaybeRevisitYourWipingT3chnique · 26/03/2024 12:33

OP didn't post the Friends picture - it was another poster who, realising the similarity of what is happening with OP to a plotline in an episode of Friends, posted the Friends picture for a joke.

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Aah, i see! Totally confused! I've seen Friends too. I don't think it was only me that misunderstood - hopefully not anyway!

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