He accused supporters of the New York school of Abstract Expressionism (the dominant idiom of the day), of lowering the standards of art. While he acknowledged the talents of many abstract artists of the time, he said that some of them were only interested in making money. They, he argued, presented many works of substandard art. And he also accused many in the mainstream art establishment of trying to trick people into accepting substandard art. He was attacked by many in the art establishment, but he also received support from several well-known artists and critics.