Art Criticism And The Role Of The Art Critic

By Author: Olga Kubli
Total Articles: 9
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I don't listen to what art critics say. I don't know anybody who needs a critic to find out what art is. Jean Michel Basquiat

As soon as a person starts to think he starts to criticize. Human nature is inclined to comparison and discussion, and I’m sure that everybody has more than once received personal evidence that this is true, for example after viewing new movie, meeting a new person or when watching a talk show. Even if we don’t want to make a judgment about something, the words come out of our mouths of their own accord, and a lot of the time we do not notice it, because it is so natural to us to analyze our experience, come to a conclusion and then voice our opinion.

The dictionary definition of art criticism is that it is the discussion or evaluation of visual art, which is certainly a fundamental part of what it means. The first writer who can be described as an art critic is La Font de Saint-Yenne who in 1737 wrote an entertaining text with added anti-monarchist rhetoric about Paris art salons at that time.

Art is often a very ambiguous phenomenon, making explanation and discussion a valuable ...
... tool in understanding more about it. Furthermore, a specific work of art generally demands awareness of past art movements and works, and a sense of what is currently happening in the art world. For this reason, art criticism is sometimes a necessary and useful help in understanding art. At the same time, because many people find it useful in these ways, criticism can have enormous power to educate and influence the opinions of those who are exposed to it. That is why each critic must observe unwritten rules to ensure responsible criticism, the best list for which is probably the one made up by the great Russian scientist and writer Mikhail Lomonosov.

According to Lomonosov, critics must do following:

- Gauge their strength before turning to criticism. The purpose of criticism is to inform the public about something new, and the purpose of the critic is to grasp the essential and new meaning of what they have seen, and share it with their audience;

- Avoid expressing or being influenced by any personal prejudices, as far as this is possible;

- Never say that the artist didn’t understand something, when in fact it was not understood by the critic;

- Never have too high a belief in their own superiority, or the authoritative nature of their opinions;

- Maintain a respectful relationship with the creator of the artwork.

Art criticism influences so many aspects of the art market: the themes that are popular with artists for their artworks, the value of artworks at auction, the viewer’s attitude to a particular artwork or art movement, a specific artist’s acknowledgement and success. And today, when, despite worries about art critics being laid off and becoming less relevant, art critics even have their own non-governmental organization, under the aegis of UNESCO, called the International Association of Art Critics, as well as a widespread presence in newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and on the internet, it’s very hard to make your own opinion without being influenced in some way by a critic. Art critics must understand the responsibility that they bear and be careful about what they are writing. From the other side, readers must always evaluate what was written and give thought to it, not simply accept what they read. Maybe a way to do this would be to read criticism only after visiting an exhibition? But then you might miss out on information that would have made your visit more enjoyable. Each art-lover must make their own decision about how to relate to art criticism.

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