Bill Merrill on mon 23 aug 10
PART 2 OBVIOUSLY, THE VALUE SYSTEM IN ART IS VERY COMPLEX AND VERY
CONFUSING BUSINESS. YET CRITICS "QUALIFIED CRITICS NOT DISCOUNTED" DO
AND MUST OPERATE IN THE VISUAL ARTS. THEY MUST RELY ON THEIR OWN
JUDGMENT, EVEN THOUGH MANY AREAS OF AGREEMENT AND CONFLICT EXIST AMONG
THEMSELVES AS JURORS OR ART HISTORIANS. THESE JURORS BRING TO US A VAST
ACCUMULATION OF THESE ESTHETIC EXPERIENCES. WE HAVE ASKED FOR JURORS FOR
SHOWS BECAUSE ARTISTS WHO ENTER SHOWS WANT TO BE CONSIDERED BY THOSE
WITH EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCES IN THE ART FIELD. NO MATTER WHAT THE JUDGE
DECIDES, WE MUST RESPECT HIS CHOICE OR WHY, THEN, BOTHER WITH THE JURIED
EXHIBITION. YOU MUST RECOGNIZE, HOWEVER, THAT A JUROR'S CHOICES ARE
OPINIONS--AND NO MORE THAN THAT. THEY REPRESENT INDIVIDUAL, PERSONAL
ATTITUDES. THE JUROR MUST HAVE A VAST ACCUMULATION OF EXPERIENCE. HE
MUST HAVE SEEN MANY WORKS OF ART AND BE ABLE TO MAKE COMPARISONS BETWEEN
A SPECIFIC WORK OF ART AND HUNDREDS OF OTHER SCULPTURES AND PAINTINGS.
WHEN THEY SAY THAT A WORK OF ART IS "GOOD" OR "BAD", THEY ARE IN EFFECT,
SAYING THAT, COMPARED TO THE MANY SIMILAR WORKS THEY HAVE SEEN BEFORE,
THIS IS WORSE, EQUAL TO, OR BETTER THAN THE OTHERS.!!! ONE MUST ALSO
REMEMBER THAT NOT EVEN AN EXPERIENCED ART CRITIC CAN MAKE ABSOLUTE
JUDGMENTS, THOUGH HIS CHOICES ARE SUBJECT TO REVIEW, AS ARE ALL OF OUR
OPINIONS.=3D20
=3D20
THE CRITICAL LIMITATION OF THOSE WHO CONDEMNED THE IMPRESSIONIST
ARE TO BE FOUND EXEMPLIFIED IN MANY OTHER INSTANCES. ALL OF OUR TASTES
AND VALUES CHANGE, AND ALL ESTHETIC JUDGMENTS MAY BE RE-EXAMINED AND
REEVALUATED. THE CHOICES OF THE JUROR ARE VALUABLE BECAUSE HIS CONTACT
WITH ART IS MANY TIMES GREATER THAN THE AVERAGE MUSEUM VISITOR. JURORS
AND ART HISTORIANS HAVE STUDIED ART OF THE PAST AND ARE MOST CERTAINLY
AWARE OF CURRENT WORK IN THE VISUAL ARTS. BECAUSE OF THEIR EXPERIENCE,
THEY CAN GUIDE THE UNTRAINED OBSERVER TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF ART OF THE
PAST AND PRESENT -- THEN WITH SOME FEELING, TOWARD CONTEMPORARY ART. THE
JUROR CAN SAY TO THE NOVICE, "HERE ARE THE WORKS OF ART THAT HAVE GIVEN
ME AN ESTHETIC EXPERIENCE". IN MY OPINION, THEY ARE THE BEST OF THEIR
KIND. "PERHAPS YOU TOO MAY FIND IN THE WORKS OF ART I HAVE CHOSEN SOME
TYPE OF SATISFACTION".
=3D20
THE IMPORTANCE OF ARTISTIC EVALUATION DEPENDS ON THE EXPERIENCE AND
THE ABILITY OF THE JUDGE. EVALUATION MAY BE A GUIDE TO THE APPRECIATION
OF THE ARTS, BUT IT SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THE
PERSON WHO SEEKS MEANINGS IN THE ARTS.
=3D20
WE MUST REMEMBER THAT WHEN LOOKING AT PAINTINGS OR SCULPTURES THAT
THESE ARE THE PROTOTYPES OF THE ARTIST'S THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS AND THAT
IT IS THE ARTIST'S PURPOSE TO GIVE PURPOSE TO HIS ART.=3D20
When making remarks about others art, remember that your work is subject
for review also.
=3D20
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