There are different kinds of criticism. There is technical criticism: 'You should add a fill light there,' or 'Try using the xyz filter set at 50% to tne edges,' etc. If you disagree with such comments, I can see wanting to see if the person making them has the "credentials," though not having a gallery doesn't necessarily mean that they don't. There is, for lack of a better term, perceptual criticism: 'Her armor's too skimpy for fighting dragons,' 'It's too dark, I can't see her face.' There is emotional criticism: 'It makes me happy,' I cried because it remeinded me of my little dog that passed away.' Anyone and everyone, artist or layperson has a right to their perceptions and their emotions. One assumes that eliciting them are one of the primary motivations for creating art and displaying it. There is moral/values based criticism: 'Making pictures of huge breasted women is demeaning to females,' 'You're a pervert for doing pictures of naked little girls.' I presume that the comment that inspired this thread fell into the latter category. If you're not prepared to have your morals and values questioned, contradicted and even perhaps changed on occasion then you shouldn't go into art galleries. Unfortunately, not everyone can follow that simple dictum.

"Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H. L. Mencken