In the comments to one of last week's posts artist Bill Gusky says "the few truly useful art critics remaining, for me, are the artist-critics, in particular Joe Fyfe, Chris Martin, and Stephen Westfall (does Westfall still write?), and, to some degree, Eleanor Heartney".
I included Merlin James in that group and asked "okay, that is four painters who also write art criticism - mostly about other painters. What about non-painters? Artists in other mediums?". An anonymous commenter added "what about female artist-critics? I hate this crowd of guys idea".
Can anybody recommend some other good artist-critics?
Related - Joe Fyfe for artcritical.com, Chris Martin on abstract painting for the Brooklyn Rail, Stephen Westfall for Art in America, Merlin James on Jean Helion.
PS - Is Heartney an artist also?
Maureen Mullarkey writes at Artcritical.com
ReplyDeleteUgh Maureen Mullarkey. Awful overly-conservative angry perspective. Barbara Pollack writes for Time Out and some other places. Her style is more conversational, more entertaining.
ReplyDeleteI don't disagree about the conservative angle, may I call you anonymous. She came to mind first. I also like Pollack.
ReplyDeleteAlexei Worth used to write for Artforum, had a show last fall somewhere on 57th Street. I like his writing more than his paintings. Mira Schor writes and paints. Personally I am not a fan of her paintings but her writing is pretty interesting, she wrote a book called "Wet" that came out in 97 or 98. Hey and for that matter Jerry Saltz used to be an artist back in the day.
ReplyDeleteAlso, David Humphrey used to write a great column for the now defunct "Art Issues." Not sure if he is still writing.
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