Criticism is dying?
We lack enough good criticism. Michael Coveney’s argument here here says essentially that.
Other art forms may also bemoan their critics. Modern photography has very little thoughtful criticism (John Berger, Susan Sontag aside), dance and poetry are too rarefied and often ‘art’ (in all it aspects) criticism is either too academic or too facile.
One point to emerge from the Talawa discussions, was the lack of a “black” theatre criticism,. I say “black” as I mean that on many levels. Essentially, the theatre practioners were suggesting that there were not enough people to tackle their work in an informed and intelligent way. This in turn was hampering the development of good work and artists.
I think a good critical response is vital. A first stab in trying to put an artist and their work in the context of today and of the history of where its coming from.
It’s very alarming that Coveney believes it is failing in mainstream theatre, for that makes it much harder for the non-mainstream.
However, I can’t help wondering if it points to a wider problem in the critical form and its interactions with the art mediums of today.
TV probably remains our most pervasive form, however most artists in tv aren’t striving to push boundaries and form. There’s film. Film criticism is developing, however I wouldn’t say it was a large body of work as yet. I believe, the forms brewing on the internet mixed with digital media, whether you call it dv, film or tv, will be the next most pervasive art forms and our critical language in that arena is, I believe, virtually non-exisitant in the wider domain.
So does this suggest that although good critcism is vital and can envigorate an art – it is not some thing which we can readily expect going forward?
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About me
I'm a playwright and investment analyst. I have a broad range of interests: food, gardening, innovation & intellectual property, sustainability, architecture & design, writing and the arts. I sit on the board of Talawa Theatre Company and advise a CIS investment trust on socially responsible investments.
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Recent Work
Recent plays include, for theatre: Nakamitsu, Yellow Gentlemen, Lost in Peru, Lemon Love. For radio: Places in Between (R4), Patent Breaking Life Saving (WS).
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Nakamitsu
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Yellow Gentlemen
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