Right on. And he's able to say these things without sounding cynical or bitter. Just dry (very dry) analysis.
Not to pile on Jerry Saltz (OK, let's pile on), but here's his Marden review from the Voice. To be fair, you can only expect so much from these short pieces in general interest magazines, but Saltz tells you even less than Schjeldahl about the "success or failure" of the art. This kind of writing is industry boosterism, like book jacket blurbs and the quotes on movie ads (does it matter if the quoted "critic" exists or not?). At best, they descend from criticism to connoisseurship, which always serves the capital of collectors and dealers, rather than any dialogue about art as such.
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Not to pile on Jerry Saltz (OK, let's pile on), but here's his Marden review from the Voice. To be fair, you can only expect so much from these short pieces in general interest magazines, but Saltz tells you even less than Schjeldahl about the "success or failure" of the art. This kind of writing is industry boosterism, like book jacket blurbs and the quotes on movie ads (does it matter if the quoted "critic" exists or not?). At best, they descend from criticism to connoisseurship, which always serves the capital of collectors and dealers, rather than any dialogue about art as such.
- alex 5-30-2002 6:35 pm