RARA-AVIS: criticism and the burnt orange heresy

From: Robison Michael R CNIN ( Robison_M@crane.navy.mil)
Date: 17 Apr 2002


erick waxes poetic:

>Words are like leaves
>and where most abound
>much fruit of sense beneath
>is rarely found.

>-- Alexander Pope, Essay on Criticism

excellent, erick. i almost mentioned this a few posts ago, but i let it slide cuz i wanted to reread the the book before discussing it, but anyway, my most favorite commentary on criticism is willeford's _burnt orange heresy_. it was wickedly and absurdly hilarious. the entire book is a running commentary on the character and value of criticism. my favorite part is when the dude hangs an EMPTY frame on his wall and announces the work to the world. it raises an uproar in the art criticism community. one camp says he has gone too far, driving art into anarchy, while the other camp says he hasn't gone far enough, and should dispense with the frame. but nobody says the whole thing is ridiculous and absurd. instead, they argue about issues such as whether it would be the same if they hung it on another wall. there's a crack in this wall, and, of course, it represents the rift between two of the major schools of art.

it makes me laugh out loud even now.

miker

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