I know that I have resorted recently to the internet in order to find the contact details for a painter and decorator, a landscape gardener, a tree-surgeon and an electrician (among others). To the best of my knowledge I have never set out to solicit the services of an art critic. Have you? Perhaps the idea will make you smile because of its incongruity. It does raise the question, however, of what art criticism is for.
I’m currently reading Julian Spalding’s book, The Eclipse of Art: tackling the crisis of art today, and finding it very thought-provoking–as well as feeding some of my prejudices.* Despite the fact that sixteen years have passed since its original publication I don’t believe that the situation has changed much. He covers a range of issues, but one aspect of his discussion does strike me as particularly noteworthy. The function of art criticism appears to have become tied inextricably to the art market, and cannot be seen as aa source of independent comment on artists and their work. This operates in two respects.
The aspect with which Spalding is most concerned is the way in which criticism is closely tied in with the validation of art as investment. As such it has little to say to the ordinary viewer or individual setting out to buy a piece for “domestic consumption”. It doesn’t really provide any longer a vocabulary in terms of which we can attempt to make sense for ourselves of what we see, and articulate our own judgements about it.
There is a bigger question, however, on which Spalding has nothing to say. A very prominent feature of the art scene (at least in Britain, but I guess elsewhere also) these days is the “blockbuster” exhibition, provided by the major public galleries. These are, of course, hideously expensive to mount, but can be extremely important as contributing factors to the tourist industry. Let’s face it, recently I’ve been both to London and Amsterdam in order to see exhibitions of this type. The rule of the critic can be significant here, providing validation of the importance of these occasions, and in that respect operating as adjuncts to the advertising industry, informing and motivating potential customers.
Meanwhile none off this is of much help to the run-of-the-mill visitor to a local gallery. I have just returned from the opening night at a local gallery in Bradford. It was quite well-attended. I couldn’t help but ask myself, however, how well-equipped were those attending to articulate their own responses to what they were seeing.
*Prestel, 2003.