Should I bin my friend's art?

[Joyjazz]

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?

This is actually genius

I do really want to see the actual picture now 😂

It got lost in the move. Or if you are like me, you just haven't got around to hanging it yet.

Oh I loathe being given art. And my husband is a professional artist and I don’t like his stuff either. We are completely eons apart in what we like. Putting up paintings requires so much tact and compromise I’ve given up

I would give it back and tell her it doesn't suit your new house or you can't find the right spot or just fancy something different

As someone who makes and gives art I would much prefer to have something back then suffered with or binned

I think this is the way to go. I would be furious if someone binned or damaged something I’d spent hours on. I’d much rather they give it back to me so that I could pass it on to someone who appreciated it or even keep it myself.

Keeping the frame is the worst option.

If you can’t bring yourself to say to your friend “it doesn’t fit with my idea of what I’m going for in my new place.” Then can you at least pass it on to someone else who would appreciate it?

Awkward. My ex is a superbly talented artist and he turned up one day with a painting of one of my cats. I love my cat but I can't stand animal portraits. I didn't feel like I could tell him though so I ended up hanging it in my hall until we had an argument and then removed it. I wouldn't bin it though, that's harsh.

She will only feel sorry for @OP and quickly paint another one.

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.

I don't think people realise there is NO kind way to tell a friend that it's not to your taste. They'd probably accept it and not hold it against you but they're going to be deeply hurt.

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

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

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).

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?

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.

HAAHAHAHA this is the first thing I thought of,

Monica, is that you?

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.

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.

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!

Reminds me of this

Bing Videos

Report yourself and never attempt a joke on MN again.

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

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

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.