On my blog I post works in progress, thoughts about process, printmaking, photography and mixed media and how the practice of Buddhism informs my work and community. When I see a show that seems to be underexposed I do my best to send out the word and help build an audience. You may visit me at http://www.iskrafineart.com.

Love “No Hassle at the Castle!”

Iskra

Here’s how I see it. When artists indulge in overt careerism, it’s always tedious. When they try to explain their own art and its purpose, sometimes it’s good, but often it’s bad. The same holds when they write to promote particular aesthetic ideas (e.g., Juan Gris and Donald Judd), or explore the aesthetic ideas of others. Sometimes it’s good, but often it’s bad. Much depends on the quality of the writing itself. Sharon Butler and Joanne Mattera are both interesting artists and excellent writers, and they have a lot to say about the work they choose to write about. This makes it worthwhile to read their blogs.

Unfortunately, “writing from the heart” is not the sine qua non of good art writing. The sad truth about art, artists and writing about art is that being a good artist, and writing from the heart about art, don’t necessarily lead to good writing. Many terrific artists, writing from the heart, are not good at writing, just as artists writing very well about art are not necessarily good artists.

Some critics (as well as art historians, while we’re at it) are obsessed with analysis and dissection, but some are not. Dave Hickey’s AIR GUITAR, for example, contains brilliant, moving ruminations on art, with little analysis. Gombrich wrote limpid, inspiring narratives about the history and meaning of art, dipping into analysis only occasionally.

As a painter who writes essays on art for The Chronicle Review, and blogs for Brainstorm, its blog site, I write on many topics other than art. Although I would like to say I “write from the heart,” I think it’s more the case that being a painter drives me to write with a certain disregard for whether or not I will get approval from others. The experience of being an artist teaches artists how to be loners–to take aesthetic stands that aren’t necessarily popular. Whether they write well or not, they almost always have a lot of interesting takes on the world in general.