At Least I’m Not an Art Critic

Few things can eclipse the level of ridiculousness to which descriptions of wine from wine critics sink, but I have to tell you, descriptions of art and artists by art critics is one of them.

Take for example this real-world description which we recently saw at a local art museum. Only the name of the artist has been changed:

“John Doe’s work entices us to view it both up close and from a distance. When viewed in its larger context, this series of small paintings create a harmonious arrangement of natural forms. These forms, at a close distance, establish a reductive language that addresses the formal concerns of painting and drawing. It is this tension between Doe’s technical skills and his passion for the intuitive process which gives rise to a dynamic conversation in the work. These conversations keep all the components together as they form, dissolve, and re-form.”

And they accuse us lawyers of being full of nonsense.