What Is Good About Art Critics?

And, really……who can be a good art critic?

It is my contention, and that will remain forever so, that everyone can be a good art critic. All one has to do is experience a form of artwork, whether it be sculpture, oil paintings, photographs, and even music and say, “Yeah, I’d like to have that in my home.” Voila!!!! Instant art critic.

Now, since I’ve had a mother for an art experience, I’m OBVIOUSLY better than everyone else for understanding art. I mean, she painted and always had some form of music playing in the house. We even created the music ourselves at times. (Well, I created a noise that kind of “complimented” her music.)

Really? Am I better? Of course not. I can only speak to whether I would hang a particular painting in my home, or play the music, or put a sculpture (albeit, small) on my table. By the same token, those that live their lives as “art critics” do so at the expense of others. Does a restaurant owner worry that a food critic will give them a bad review? Are the opinions of the food critic better than the popularity of the restaurant to actual customers?

Films are another example. How many “critically acclaimed” movies have been losing propositions in regards to box office proceeds? I can remember when “The Passion of the Christ” was so derided by all the critics as being a bad movie, but it was an extremely profitable one.

Thus, I contend that the readers of this blog are far better critics than I am in many ways. That is because you are best for deciding what it is you like and don’t like. On the other hand, if you are reading this blog, I’m beginning to wonder about you. Don’t you have ANYTHING better to do?

I do. Let’s look at some art together. We’ll start with some more photos of my mother’s paintings. I’ve not done that in a while, and Richard (RV PAINTER) painted a good one recently, which prompted me to get back to showing beauty again. (Oh, and abstract art, where the ear in a portrait is actually on the top of the head of the subject, doesn’t really tingle my toes.)

I had previously posted that Mother had a love for the West. She loved all of nature, but the west interested her more than the East. So, here are a few showing western country and western cultural scenes.

Richard will love this one…..it has critters in it.

Western living and scene

And a “monochrome”:

Oh, and Cowboys….(did I ever mention I sort of used to be one?)

And, I’d like to see views like this from our RV.

OK.  Six of hers, and how about one photo from me.  This from Arches National Park in 2002.  A test for Richard….can you see the explorer, the somewhat reclining Indian and the obscene gesture?