How do you comment on contemporary art? In my view, if you are direct and honest, you comment from your own individual perspective - and say what you see.
Those submerged in the marketplace for contemporary art or the academic world of art and/or who pursue endless degrees in art you may say something completely different. Some of which may sound quite a lot like International Art English a.k.a. "artspeak" and suggest it is "authoritative". It's not.
As an artist, if you put your work out there you have to be prepared for the fact that not everybody will think your art is as good (or as bad) as you think it is - and that people may say precisely what they think about it.
My personal philosophy on this blog has always been to never ever say anything negative about an artwork (i.e. say nothing at all if you don't like/rate it) UNLESS the artist is in contention for a major art prize.
Commentary on a comment
I recently came across a comment left some two years ago on my Facebook Page in relation to my posting my photo of a young chap - an emerging artist - who'd got his painting in to an exhibition at the Mall Galleries and won a prize. I'd liked the painting and the artist.
An individual commented - and he was ungracious enough to spoil the young chap's moment in the sun - and took the opportunity to call me out on my writing about art. He was initially referring to my review blog post which was a completely different post from the one he commented on.
I was very irritated by his ineptitude and rudeness and decided to respond in a robust manner.
You can read what happened below - minus the references to specific individual painters and the name of the individual who commented.
I still stand by what I said - and I love the fact that as I get older I really don't mind calling out those who are really rude and those who presume that other people shouldn't hold an opinion which is different to their own.
This is the poster - who is a professional artist / teacher who I'm not going to identify. All the spelling mistakes are his own. (I know artists often make spelling mistakes and normally I'd correct them but NOT when people call my writing pathetic!)
Wow, Utter nonsense and absolutely noboby here advancing the cause of contemporary painting in any way. Utterly reliant on outmoded tradition and craft based skills and philosophies......(comment on an individual). I really don't understand this blog any more. I can't fathem what it is that you are trying to acheive. Your "review" of the John Moores was pathetic and weak and anti intellectual. I'm going to unfollow you now, which I am quite sure you don't care about because you seem to believe that you know everything whilst ironicly and simultaniously displaying publicly a complete lack of knowledge about everything. That must be a strange position to be in. I wish you luck.
[For the record this was my blog post commenting on the John Moores prizewinners 2018 - you can find more of my posts about the John Moores Painting Prize below]
This was my response
[name of individual] - how wonderful for you to be absolutely certain of your 'academic' perspective. How very unkind of you to make those comments on the painting of an individual - as opposed to the blog post!
My judgement is my judgement - and that's all it is - a commentary. It's not trying to be anything more - although obviously yours is since presumably you teach it too! Do you also decry free speech in your classrooms?
I applauded an exhibition which is TRYING to be different and move in a more contemporary direction. I certainly never said ALL the paintings were OK, rather that there were some that were excellent.
The fact of the matter is that there are lots of people in the country who enjoy painting and lots of people who enjoy buying artwork that would never ever get into the John Moores because it doesn't have the contemporary edge so favoured by some Judges.
My test of whether art is any good is whether people are still looking at it and wanting to buy it 50+ years down the line. On the whole judgement on that tends to be made by the buyers not the teachers, the academics or the competition judges!
Otherwise whoever paints it, it's just a flash in the pan.
I very much liked the [name of individual] painting as I thought I had indicated in my review - but presumably you didn't read that bit! I'd very much like to see more work like that. The direct lineage in terms of Euan Uglow and William Coldstream is obvious and certainly not one I dislike in anyway - I'm all for good draughtsmanship underpinning paintings.
Feel free to unfollow and go off and feel very superior about your own judgement.
For the record I find your paintings to be cold and academic and an exercise in painting shapes with absolutely no emotion. But you probably won't read this so you'll never ever know....
to which he responded (you did realise this is a man didn't you?)
On the contrary I did read it. It's very interesting. Your take on my work is polemically opposite to a lot of other people's take on my work. I was wondering if you would allow me to use the quote... "For the record I find your paintings to be cold and academic and an exercise in painting shapes with absolutely no emotion." in a forthcoming publication which will document my very emotional commitment to painting and teaching over the last twenty years. It will be published in January. Please let me know if it's okay to use your quote. Many thanks.There is, of course, no publication - and no use of my quote. I've just noticed he also doesn't understand tautology.
- NEVER EVER rain on somebody else's parade
- NEVER EVER use art speak when trying to communicate ideas about art - you may only succeed in making yourself look stupid.
- keep it simple - say what you think about the art (i.e. not the person).
- always respond when somebody has a 'nasty' go at YOU (re your words, art or whatever) - especially if they are rude and/or insensitive to others in terms of where/when they say it. They rarely do it twice.
My John Moores Painting Prize posts
2020
- Selected artists for John Moores Painting Prize 2020
- Call for Entries: £25,000 John Moores Painting Prize 2020 + NEW Prize
2018
- Prizewinners: John Moores Painting Prize 2018
- Selected Artists: John Moore Painting Prize 2018
- £25,000 John Moores Painting Prize 2018 - Call for Entries
2016
2012
- John Moores Painting Prize 2012 - Shortlisted Artists
- John Moore Painting Prize 2012: Call For Entries
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