Criticism Archives - Page 2 of 4

Telling the Truth in Art

[caption id="attachment_3250" align="aligncenter" width="1100"] A truth about flamenco is that it’s more commercial than it should be[/caption] Telling the Truth in Art Nothing irks me more in art than criticism that uses modern fashion as a justification for it's existence. In fact, if a piece of art is being criticized because the piece fails to follow modern fashionable conventions then the piece is very likely by definition "art". I don't say this meaning that art must or even should break conventions (I don't believe that at all). But art that conforms to prevailing fashions intentionally is missing something, and that missing piece...

January 5, 2016

Greg

in Criticism

A Critique of the Definition of Documentary Art

Documentary Art: a Definition [caption id="attachment_3563" align="alignleft" width="155"] Documentary arts: An image tells us a story, whether it has detailed facts or not[/caption] The first thing that comes to mind when we think of a documentary is usually a film. Beyond that, we typically think of writers and photographers, especially those of the journalistic type. But that's not all. Painters were definitely the documentary artists before photography was invented. Painters such as Raffaele Carelli and Johann Moritz Rugendas documented the landscapes they visited. In fact, the Hudson School was probably the dominant American documentary arts style of the 1800s. They influenced the...

October 24, 2015

Greg

in Criticism

How to Look at Art in Four Steps (when you don’t know what you’re looking at)

Have you ever wondered how something can be called "art" when it apparently looks like something you could have created using the leftover paint from painting your garage? Well, in this great video by University of Pittsburgh Professor Terry Smith, at the Andy Warhol Museum, he explains how to look at art using four steps: What: Look at the art and ask: "What am I looking at?" Share these thoughts with other people. Try [caption id="attachment_3257" align="alignright" width="193"] How to Look at Art in Four Steps: The Chair in the Blue Room (2019)[/caption] to describe it and keep an open mind. Describe the...

October 13, 2015

Greg

in Criticism, How-to in Art

The Future of Selling Art: Why This Is a Good Thing

Yeah, I know, there are thousands of artists peddling their works on eBay, but how many of them auction in the hundred's of thousands of dollars? If they're coming straight from the artist then the answer is none, but why can't there be high-priced auctions over the Internet like there are in famous auction houses? Well, eBay and Phillips are teaming up to do just that, and that's great news for everyone. Why? Because this is the future of art. [caption id="attachment_3213" align="aligncenter" width="1100"] City VII Roses - Oil on Canvas (2014)[/caption] Think for a moment where artists sell. Mostly it's to...

September 6, 2015

Greg

in Criticism

Kindness Can Save the Arts

[caption id="attachment_4572" align="alignleft" width="191"] Essen Coal #1 - Photography on Archival Paper[/caption] Kindness Can Save the Arts I do a fair amount of research on the art world in general, and occasionally I come across something that strikes me as appropriate and smart. As was such with this quote by Paul Warwick, co-producer of China Arts in the UK, that I found in this Guardian article about Why Radical Kindness is the Key to Artistic Development. Paul said: "...

August 9, 2015

Greg

in Criticism

The Golden Ratio is Bullshit

[caption id="attachment_2862" align="alignleft" width="300"] Self-portrait - 17.5 x 27.5 cm - The closest I have to the Golden Ratio[/caption] Golden Ratio is a Myth I've suspected this for some time, and I finally got an article that shows this, albeit in a more practical way. The Golden Ratio is kind of a crap number when it comes to nature, art, and design. Now, the author, John Brownlee, suggests the Golden Ratio (or, more simply, 1:6) isn't practical for mathematical reasons. He firstly says that the number isn't just 1.6, or 1.6180 as he notes. In fact, the ratio is much like pi...

June 2, 2015

Greg

in Criticism

A Lack of Diversity in the US Art World

This is a shame. According to the ArtNews.com (my link is to the LA Times), one-third of all solo museum exhibits in the United States are by artists from five different galleries. In other words, there's a lot of power in the hands of very, very few. That's a clear lack of diversity in the US art world if I ever saw one.Sure, you can argue that there's diversity in the art world still, just like you can argue there's diversity in the workplace - until you walk into your company's board room and suddenly realize that you either completely...

April 27, 2015

Greg

in Criticism

Conversations About Art: Abstract with Guido Viaro

[caption id="attachment_3837" align="alignright" width="250"] One of Guido Viaro's favorite artists: Kandinsky - Improvisation 3 - Oil on Canvas (1909) - Centre Georges Pompidou[/caption] Guido Viaro and Abstract Art As a writer, Guido Viaro is currently working on abstract short stories, but it's abstract as an idea that influences him. "In my working room I’m surrounded by abstract paintings by Guido Viaro," he says of his grandfather of the same name. "I love all Kandinsky, perhaps for his previous studies of proportions and colors. I love Paul Klee for his fake innocence. I love Jorge Luis Borges for his short story “The Aleph”....

February 19, 2015

Greg

in Art, Artistic Process, Behind the Artwork, Contemporary Art, Criticism

Trust in the Process: Understanding Introversion (because we don’t)

[caption id="attachment_3846" align="alignleft" width="226"] Understanding Introversion: Self-Portrait - oil on canvas (2014)[/caption] Understanding Introversion Part I this series is here Part II this series is here Part III this series is here Part IV this series is here Introversion and being an artist actually have little to do with each other. As much as people would like to pigeon-hole artists into the introversion category, I'm not convinced it's true. There are an awful lot of artists out there who prefer to just want to be out there with other people, attending shows, or generally being the center of attention. As it happens I'm not one of...

December 21, 2014

Greg

in Artistic Process, Criticism

Trust in the Process: The Myth of the Right-Left Brain Mentality

[caption id="attachment_3213" align="alignnone" width="1100"] The Myth of the Right-Left Brain Mentality: City VII - Roses - Oil on Canvas (2014)[/caption] Part I of this series is here Part II of this series is here Part III of this series is here The right and left parts of the brain may do certain things, but they don't operate exclusively. I took this right-brain vs. left-brain test recently and scored 16 out of a possible 21 (there are 22 questions, but one is the same with reversed answers). I'm borderline "moderate" to "strong" right brain, which means I'm supposed to be more creative in my life. There...

December 3, 2014

Greg

in Artistic Process, Criticism

Greg Mason Burns

Criticism