Friedrich --

The National Arts Journalism Program at Columbia University just released the results of a study they did of art critics. My favorite fact: of the 169 writers they looked at, only 3 claim to be politically conservative. The report goes on:

In fact, art critics were more likely to vote for the Green Party in the 2000 presidential election than to vote Republican. Progressive political dispositions underlie art critics' positions on several issues in the visual arts today, including government arts funding and freedom of speech.

Time to call in the Diversity Police?

Asked whether they agree with the statement "Postmodernist theory has a strong influence on the art being made today," 84% of the critics said they somewhat or strongly agree. Asked whether they agree with the statement "Multiculturalism has a strong influence in today's art world," 96% said they somewhat or strongly agree. 61% of the critics agree that "the federal government should make the support of individual artists a policy priority," and 75% "strongly disagree" with the placing of any constraints on publicly funded art.

The writers picked favorites from a limited list of living artists. Their top ten faves from this list are, in this order:

1. Jasper Johns
   
2. Robert Rauschenberg
   
3. Claes Oldenburg
   
4. Maya Lin
   
5. Louise Bourgeois
   
6. Chuck Close
   
7. Ed Ruscha
   
8. Gerhard Richter
   
9. Cindy Sherman
   
10. Frank Stella
    

Their least favorite living artists, also drawn from a prepared list:

1. LeRoy Neiman
   
2. Thomas Kinkade
   
3. Julian Schnabel
   
4. Jeff Koons
   
5. Dale Chihuly
   
6. Yoko Ono
   
7. David Salle
   
8. William Wegman
   
9. Damien Hirst
   
10. Tracey Emin
    

Best,

Michael

Michael--

In the interests of full disclosure, maybe we should answer the same questionnaire. Of course, that would constitute WORK, to which both of us are by nature highly adverse. On the other hand, it would probably make an entertaining posting--what do you say?

Posted by: Friedrich von Blowhard on December 10, 2002 01:16 AM






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