I WAS disgusted that the Royal Academy is prepared to show artist Marcus Harvey's portrait of murderess Myra Hindley (LET, July 26).

I am a self-taught artist and have only entered the RA once as I am disgusted by the London galleries.

It seems to me that if you come up with awful paintings or ideas, you can get anywhere. Surely, art is about pleasing people not shocking them.

I was planning a trip to London to see this year's summer exhibition at the RA. Now, the trip is cancelled as I have no intention of wasting money on a gallery with such low standards.

DAWN HILTON (Ms), Payton Street, Accrington.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.