A new topic is called for: what is the differencw between reporting and criticism, when it comes to design?
Julie, you told me that you are planning a panel on design criticism for ICFF as part of a series of discussions organized by I.D. and RISD. How is the preparation going? Would you please share with us a preview of the themes you will address?
Incidentally, I would like to bring to your attention a panel that is planned for the end of the month at SVA in New York. It is about art criticism, but some of the issues seem to overlap with us:
SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS PRESENTS: THE CRISIS IN CRITICISM
The School of Visual Arts (SVA) will present a panel discussion to address the state of contemporary critical practices, The Crisis in Criticism, on Thursday, March 25, at 7pm, in the SVA Amphitheater, 209 East 23rd Street, 3rd floor. This event is free and open to the public.
“The state of affairs with regard to criticism has become something of a global concern, both in academic journals as well as in the popular press,” says Suzanne Anker, the Chair of the Art History Department at SVA. “Some art criticism, along with major media sound bites, continues to create impressions that are far from trustworthy, accurate or even meaningful.”
What can we expect of art criticism today? Is there a growing inability on the part of both artists and critics to reflect critically on the subject and practice of the visual arts? When we reflect upon the visual arts, have our judgments and expectations been drastically reduced? Has art criticism become little more than an act of indexing art works to historical themes and genres or to simply supplying appropriate anecdotes to an audience, in order to make them feel like insiders? This panel, composed of writers, editors and educators will consider these topics."