EP 32: Do We Need Art Criticism?

Does anyone even read art criticism any more? For years, the prevailing wisdom told us that the art industry needs art criticism to grow. And yet, today, the industry is larger than ever; the number of professional art critics in the country is dwindling, and those writing reviews aren't having them read. So, do we need art criticism? Is art criticism itself the problem? Is it too positive to be taken seriously or too negative to qualify as anything more than clickbait? In this episode of Art Problems, Paddy Johnson summarizes the recent online discussions about criticism, focusing on Sean Tatol's "Negative Criticism" and Ben Davis's "Is Criticism Too Positive" and explains why this conversation is relevant to artists. If you struggle to understand the media landscape, this podcast will help you understand the stakes so you can make better decisions about where to spend your time. Professionals discussed: Jerry Saltz, Sean Tatol, Ben Davis, Jason Farago, Joanna Freeman, Jackson Arn, Josh Baer, Jeff Poe   Relevant links: https://www.thebaerfaxtpodcast.com/e/jerry-saltz/ https://news.artnet.com/opinion/sean-tatol-negative-reviews-part-1-2353302 https://news.artnet.com/opinion/sean-tatol-negative-criticism-part-2-2353305 https://news.artnet.com/multimedia/the-art-angle-podcast-state-of-art-criticism-2358970 https://thepointmag.com/criticism/negative-criticism/ http://19933.biz/manhattanartreview.html