Why Is It "Bad"?

Ralph Pugay, Liondix, Acrylic on panel, 12" x 16", 2010. www.ralphpugay.com

Why do we feel the need to call our paintings "bad", "naive", "hobbyist", "crafty"?  
Why can't we just let them be what they are going to be?  
Is it because we are insecure?  
Is it because we want to make sure everyone knows that we are self-aware?  
Does it legitimize the paintings?  
Does it make the paintings humble?  
Does it make the paintings pretentious?
When we make a humorous painting, is it automatically sorted into one of the categories in my first question?
Who does this sorting?
Why are we uncomfortable laughing at a painting?
Is it because it lowers the entire art form?
Is this a bad thing?
Is painting not supposed to make us feel those emotions?
Does a painting have to be witty or conceptually intriguing if it is also "bad"?
Can a strong concept make up for poor aesthetic choices?
Who is evaluating this balancing act?
Must we always tip the scale one way or the other?
What is the difference between painting and illustration?
Is an illustrative aesthetic "bad"?
Why do we have to put "bad" in quotation marks?
When will irony die?

Clara Tresgallo: Three Artist Statements

Clara Tresgallo, Untitled, 2011. Acrylics on canvas.

Clara Tresgallo, Untitled, 2011. Acrylics on board.

Clara Tresgallo, Untitled, 2011. Acrylics on board.

1)

Clara Tresgallo paints objects that are unusual and abstract in nature. Some of her choices are wrapped papers and popcorn. The paintings are not realistic. The paintings are a translation of what she sees. Each painting varies in color greatly. In many paintings, Tresgallo uses only whites and grays while in others Tresgallo uses bright and straight-out-of-the-tube colors. Although Tresgallo’s colors vary, what tie the work together is Tresgallo's process of translation (from object to painted object). 

2)

Clara Tresgallo is an architect who paints. Tresgallo was required to do several exercises, in which she painted paper and popcorn. By doing these exercises, Tresgallo learned how to mix black out of red, yellow and blue, mix her grays from complementary colors and white, create a balanced composition, etc. Tresgallo likes the process of painting and noticed she developed a style of her own. Tresgallo decided to continue her painting practice.

3)

Clara Tresgallo, M.F.A. Architecture, is an abstract painter born and raised in Puerto Rico. Tresgallo paints objects that are of easy access like paper and popcorn. The chosen objects are a starting point where Tresgallo paints the structure that she sees. The objects seem to change perspective and become fragmented like many Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque paintings.