I have started this blog post to reflect on theory of Critical Writing and keep my notes as part of my preparatory works for Critical Writing piece we are required to produce fro this course. I also have made a list of most established and well known art critics to read their articles in order to understand the standard of good critical writing about Art. This post will grow as I will proceed with my readings.

James Elkins, Julian Spalding, Adrianna Campbell, Jason Farago, Carolina Miranda, Jerry Saltz, Peter Schjeldahl, Martha Schwendener, Sebastien Smee;

Below in put some impressive and bold statements from different art critics’ articles and my reflection on them.

1. Julian Spalding about Damian Hirst: “Some people argue that Damien Hirst is a great artist. Some say he is an execrable artist, and others put him somewhere more boring in between. They are all missing the point. Damien Hirst isn’t an artist. His works may draw huge crowds when they go on show in a five-month-long blockbuster retrospective at Tate Modern next week. But they have no artistic content and are worthless as works of art. They are, therefore, worthless financially.”;”…What separates Michelangelo from Damien Hirst is that Michelangelo was an artist and Damien Hirst isn’t. Michelangelo’s extremely subtle, profoundly moving ideas were manifest in what he made; they weren’t pretentious profanities tossed off the top of his head.” (08.03.2012, The Independent);

“…but art has to be made.”, “…The art education world, strapped for funds, has clung to the Con Art bandwagon, because thinking costs less than making. It doesn’t involve learning craft skills in studios.”, ‘…Real art is always positive, for if it wasn’t why would anyone make it or want it? Con art is negative: it gives us nothing.” (08.03.2012, The Independent)

2.James Elkins. James Elkins follows a very structured approach in distributing his knowledge and expertise: on his website you can find an extensive and comprehensive description of his activity as an art historian, professor and art critic to help anyone who is interested to navigate his books, lectures and articles. I have signed up to his Youtube page, which is dedicated to art students and listened some of his lectures: 1261, Concepts and Problems in the Visual Arts, lecture C11: Eurocentrism in art theory.

3. I have read a good example of “explaining” critical writing by Nicole C. Rousemaniere, made for Sothebys auction of Japanese Art items. https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/japanese-beauty-why-the-art-of-japan-requires-your-full-attention. Nicole Coolidge Rousmaniere, PH.D., is the founding Director and currently the Research Director of the Sainsbury Institute and Professor of Japanese Art and Culture at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. She received her PhD from Harvard University in 1998.

Bibliography: “How to Write About Contemporary Art”, Gilda Williams, 2014, Thames & Hudson; online on http://www.ebookcentral.proquest.com [accessed on April 12th, 2023]; “Seven Art Critics You can Count”, Alina Cohen, 05/09/2018, online on http://www.observer.com [accessed on April 21st, 2023]; “Julian Spalding: Damien Hirsts are the sub-prime of the art world”, Julian Spalding, The Independent, 8th of March, 2012, online on http://www.independent.co.uk [accessed on April 18th, 2023];“Damian Hirst, British, b.1965”, online on http://www.artsy.com [accessed on April 18th 2023]; “Julian Spalding in Conversation”, June 1st, 2020; interview, online on http://www.goldmarkart.com, [accessed on April 18th 2023]; 1261, Concepts and Problems in the Visual Arts, lecture C11: Eurocentrism in art theory, James Elkins, online on Youtube, [accessed on May 27th, 2023];