Western Canada's art magazine since 2002
25 September 2018 Vol 3 No 20 ISSN 2561-3316 © 2018
From the Editor
Portia Priegert
After I started to giggle during an interview last week with Vancouver artist Lori Goldberg, she suggested watching some online videos by the American critic Jerry Saltz. I did and I loved their irreverence. The art world can be such a serious place.
Saltz is an art school dropout who drove trucks until he was 41 (the only Jewish truck driver in history, he jokes). He writes for New York magazine and is married to another art critic, Roberta Smith, who works for the New York Times. Wouldn't it be fun – and a little terrifying – to gallery hop with them?
When I reeled myself back in from cyberspace, I decided to put my "research" time to productive use and pass along five favourite quotations from Saltz.
On artists, he says:
- "You will be poor, but your life will never be boring – accept it."
- "I often think that everyone who isn’t making art is a failed artist, even those who never tried."
- "You only need to convince seven people that your work is worth taking a chance on: four collectors, one art dealer, and two critics. Just seven!"
And on critics:
- "Writing is a process that tells you what you think."
- "Our job is to watch artists dance naked in public, and then we will, in turn, dance naked critically in public."
Now to the business of this issue: We'd love you to dance – naked or otherwise – over to our stories about Paul Freeman's new installation in Sherwood Park, Alta., and photographer Dick Oulton's show in North Vancouver. We also write about exhibitions by three painters: Darrell Bell, in Saskatoon; Marsha Kennedy, in Regina; and Ulrich Panzer, in Calgary. Our sixth – and final piece is a review of a Vancouver craft show, Cut Weave Throw Print.
For the coming issue, along with my story about Goldberg, who has been making paintings about garbage, I'm editing articles about the Vancouver Biennial, Tyler Bright Hilton's exhibition in Calgary, and Deborah Thompson's show in Castlegar, B.C.
By the way, I'd love to hear stories about your favourite (or least favourite) art critic. Please drop a comment, or even just a name, in the comments below. And, in Saltz's honour, my own irreverent observation to encourage you to name drop. "Be brave: Everyone in the art world thinks everyone else is more connected than they are."
Until next time,
CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE: Paul Gessell, Amy Gogarty, Maureen Latta, Agnieszka Matejko, John Thomson