Page 16 RAIN May 1980 CRITICISM_ or between the lines Howardena Pindell is an artist and a former member of A.LR. Gallery in New York City. by Howardena Pindell The following notes were prepared for publication from a symposium on art criticism held at Dpuglas College, Rutgers University • (NJ), April 20, 1978. The following questions were addressed to the panelists: , Is the critic a legitimator ofvalues? The artist carries the burde; of his/her own justification, but what is the role of the critic in this? Is it possible to eliminate any hierarchica.l relationship betu;een art- , ists an~ critics-to eliminate any residue of fe.eling that the one is better than the other? The working relationship between the artist - and the critic: how does one deal with the possible promotional value of criticism, both bad and good, favorable arid unfavorable, to the artist? Does criticism exist as a thing in itself, c'an it exist as such, or does it only function along with the wo,rks with w'hich it deals? I have decided to take a rather subjective approach to the questions presented. When I read through the topics to be discussed, my first response was a feeling of negativity towards criticismand the institution of art writing as it is manifeste·d in _art periodicals, mass-produced art books, and newspapers. From my vantage point as an artist, I find that critics usually view an artist's work while it is on exhibition in a gallery an<J, occasionally, while it is on view in a public institution. A number of critics do not as a rule go to the studio indepen?ent of an exhibition. More.often than not the gallery exhibition brings them forth, prodded by the dealer or the artist, or coaxed by financial necessity ... the need to earn money or ,"brownie points" by having reviews or articles'published. The critic is therefore viewing work which has bee~ preselected by the dealer. A gallery is a business. Making money is its primary objective. The critic is used by the dealer as a means of endorsing the "product" (w(?rk of art), ripening it for sale. (If a_reproduction of a work ap:.. pears in a review or an article, it is often sold as a result of the endorsement.) Criticism is contamihated by the fact that it is used to market a "product." A parallel in the non-art world can be seen in the subtle ma_nipulations utilized by advertising to create a need for a particular product in order to increase profits. The critic is therefore used as a means ·of "~yping" an artist's work. A nu·mber of unconscious factors determine what is marketable and wh~t is not, w'ho is written about and who is not. These uncon- ~cious factors include le_arned attitudes reflecting the negative and positive fantasies and taboos of a culture. In this culture work by •white males is more marketable than work by non-white males or females . (Occasionally "honorary status"·is given to a non-whjte if a market is temporarily created for the work.) , The needs of the buyer are based on class, caste, fashion and personal preference, guided by unconscious factors. The buyer will tend to select that which appears to enh#).nce self-image and improve status. The dealer is influenced by.the needs of the buyer. The critic is used to "blessing" this interchange and making it apRear on the surface.to be something other than what,it is ... a form of barter with hidden incentives. The critic is often a pawn_, although he/she attempts to cloak the transaction in elaborate syntax in an effort to fabr.icate an artificial "moral" detachment. Critics rarely examine their own unconscious needs and goals for stat"4S or power, needs . which seem to keep them locked into writing about what has already been approved and sifted by the dealers, avoiding controversy or controversial artists. ' • One could see the art world and the critic's place:within that world through the following: The art world is a neolithic, loose association 'of clans within a larger tribe. The clan chiefs are the dealers. The critics are the bards who sing the praises of the clan and its leaders. Artists are the shamans whose talents are sold through the chief:-Rituals, reinforcement of the tribal structure, are performed in huts or compounds designated for this purpose (private and public institutions, auction houses). Advancement within the clan to higher rank is predominantly achieved through strategies dependent on the buddy system and nepotism: White males hold most of the prominent positions as shamans·, bards and chiefs; however, white·females may be elevated to a position 'of prominence through pers9nal financial status, ties of kinship or temporary bonds of affection. • The "mongrel" hordes represent the.taboos and negative fantasies of the tribe. The "mongrel" hordes, or alten;iate dans., are made up of men and women, shamans and bards who are nonwhite or whites who have been outlawed by the main clan. Honor- •ary status in the main clan may be achieved through death or a temporary economic demand. . I would like to address a few of the topics suggested by our moderator. "The working relationship between the artist and the critic: how does one deal with its promotional aspects?" How is the critic .influenced to select work tQ write-about? It would be enlightening if a test,could be devised to study how critics are influenced on a subconscious level by setting up a method for reviewing the same work in different settings. What would the critic say about the same artist who exhibits his/her work in a museum space, an alternate space, or in the studio; in a blue-chip gallery or one not-so-bluechip; in New York or out of New York? The variables are'infinite. It would be additionally enlightening to see how the same work would be reviewed where the gender and race of the artist are known·, and not known, as well as the artist's financial status (i.e., whether the work sells or doesn't sell). A fascinating study is discussed in Vance Packard's Hidden Persuaders. A study of behavior and motivation revealed that the same product wrapped in different packages elicited responses such as "too strong" in a package of one color and shape, "inadequate" in ano~he·r package,·and "wonderful" in yet another. Racial types used to display products were found to cause the viewer to project onto the product h~s/her positive or negative fantasies and expectations. A brown or black model elicited in Americans suspicion and a generally negative response to the product. The same product displayed with a blond Germanic type elicited in Americans a positive, warm, supportive response. How does the positive or negative hal_o effect distort a critic's judgment? Who· is the critic writing for and how is the critic affected and infected by th~ pr_ejudices of his/ her unconscious? "Is it possible to eliminate any hierarchical relationship between artists and critics .. . ?" As long as critics allow themselves to be used to promote "products" and the "real estate value" of art, and as long as the major part of this dialogue ta.'kes1place in magazines dependent on dealer advertising, a hierarchical relationship.will continue. Artist is pitted against artist, thus creating an artificial need for the critic. The IRS, ironically, cont~nues to P_romote this
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz