On Criticism

Criticism derives from the Greek word kritikos, ‘one who delivers a verdict’. However, in a recent poll of practicing art critics, seventy-five percent reported that rendering judgments on artworks was the least significant aspect of their job. This is a concerning statistic for philosopher and critic Noel Carroll, who argues that that the proper task of the critic is not simply to describe, or to uncover hidden meanings or agendas, but ultimately determine what is of value in art. With clarity with panache, Carroll argues for a humanistic conception of criticism which focuses on what the artist has achieved by creating or performing the work, as in painting or dance - the performance itself being the object of criticism. Whilst a good critic should not neglect to contextualize and offer interpretations of a work of art, he argues that too much recent criticism has ignored the fundamental role of the artist’s intentions.Carroll fleshes out his argument with excellent examples from visual, performing and literary arts, including films such as Memento and Sunset Blvd , art works by El Greco, Manet, and Andy Warhol, and performances such as Ballanchine’s Four Temperaments , and Mark Morris’s Mozart Dances . Drawing on his formidable knowledge of the worlds of art, criticism, and philosophy, Noel Carroll provides a charming, erudite and immensely persuasive argument that appraisal and evaluation of art are an indispensable part of the conversation of life.