Art criticism has existed for centuries, whether it was literature, opera or painting under the blade. Why are some pieces ridiculed and others lauded as perfection? I think it's because there is an underlying desire in all of us to conform, to know what's "hot and what's not." It's taken on a life of its own in today's culture, with movies, albums, plays, television shows, fashion, you name it. People want to know what it's okay to like and what it's okay to hate.
It also creates "borderlines" (every bristling shaft of pride, church or nation, team or tribe...) and adds to our definition of ourselves. "We like this and they don't. They like that and we don't." It keeps us in our neat little camps and breeds camaraderie - that's why we're all here, isn't it? I think we'd be hard pressed to find a major supporter of Britney Spears on this list, and even if there was one, he or she would think twice before coming out of the closet about it. Because, as critics (and we are all critics!), we have defined Britney Spears as a lesser artist than Joni Mitchell. And, she is a lesser artist than Joni Mitchell - it's just a fact of life. But who defines that? Would a 16 year-old fan of Britney agree with that evaluation or would she defend Britney to the end and denigrate Joni in the process? Borderlines, baby. Borderlines. In any case, criticism is here to stay. People read it. People love it. In fact, many people need it to steer themselves through the arts. It is the arts, after all, that seem to draw the most criticism and that's for a reason - it's because it is such an elusive blend of emotionality, sensuality, intellect, psychology and sociology - it's not easily grasped. Art critics, movie critics, food critics, music critics, tv critics, fashion critics all exist because people want to know about the given artistic medium, and more importantly, what to think of it, whether it's worthy of praise or not. Critics, though, are mostly self-made. There is no training school for critics. That is both frightening and a relief. It means that "real" people can be critics and it's understood that the more one critiques, the more he becomes an expert on any given subject, which isn't necessarily true. This is why listening or reading criticism must always be done with skepticism and with the understanding that it always comes down to individual taste. There are not that many office furniture critics, although they probably do exist because people will always want "expert" advice on everything: "Is it okay to like this?" Yes, it is. -Andrew Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now
