What is the value of art criticism and what does it mean to you?

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In my media diet of, largely, Instagram and Reddit; articles, essays and books on art (and artists) are like the cap on my food pyramid, an occasional indulgence, a ‘sometimes’ food. This is as much to digest and savor as to inform my own artistic and written practice. Having never considered the question of the value of arts criticism past the political circulation and historical context of the art in the artists' time, evaluating what it means to me has been warmly motivating.

In an attempt to surround myself with art and artists, I do sporadic stints gallery sitting and working show opening nights. The excitable energy that undulates through the space always inspires so many conversations on the works themselves, introductions and exposure to different work, artistic and literary. A bustling flood of encouragement and questions, the precursor to resolved thoughts and feelings. Critique! A sign of success in any artistic work is the engagement it inspires among the audience. The sheer context of information and ideas you become exposed to from conversation with these perfect strangers, has the direction of my content consumption satiated for days, weeks even months afterwards. To make sense of this influx, forming a concept or idea to expand on what I have received, only to share again, rinse and repeat. Inevitably, art criticism leads to the creation of more art, expanding on ideas or zeroing in on something that your own lens may not have afforded you. There is a reason that global scientific research institutes have instilled artistic residencies as artists have a way of processing, conceptualising themes, experiences and ideas (see Art vs. Science, A. S. C. Ross) and translating, visually, to arguably the largest range of audience. Regardless of academic level, art is a highly accessible form.  

I have so much adoration for a room of artists crowded around works of each others’ to critique. Classroom ‘crits’ and shows are of my most favourite spaces to be in, rooms occupied by wide-eyed artists showing up for themselves and the community, for a mutual love and need for exploration in art. Receiving critique and critiquing, is such a profound display of undivided attention and commitment. 

Reading up on art critique has led me to Harold Rosenberg, an essayist post World War I, in the heyday of abstract expressionism. His sentiment toward art criticism was paradoxical, as an artist himself and writer, that ‘the attempt to define [art]  is like a game in which you cannot possibly reach the goal..’ (The American Action Painter, 1952).  Yet, historically the attempts to do so are obsessive and why? The act of critiquing is unifying, ’collectively [we] intuited… every act of creation on our part is an act of defiance in the face of [..] evolving disorder’, (Meaning in the Making, S. Tucker 2021). The art in critique, poses a world of possibilities to a world increasingly divided.