I chose to write about Richard Huntingtons' Buffalo News article on Hallwalls. My draw to this piece should be obvious. My Museum Studies instructor is a Hallwalls curator and (strange as it may sound) even though I’m from Buffalo…I have never been to this gallery. So, anything that can provide a little background (until I actually get there) will help.
Another element about the piece that struck me was its humanity. The overall tone of the article was neither stuffy, nor pretentious…which is typically what I’d expect from an art critic. However, Huntingtons’ approach to this editorial was different. It was, dare I say, accessible and provided a back-story to a place and time that I’ve only heard and read about.
What of the commentary itself, you ask? Reading further into it I realize the link between this post and my first post which focused on the never ending state of change in the art world. That’s when I made the connection. It all boils down to the same thing...defining art. The details of the arguments may change but, the premise is the same. The abstraction of art makes it difficult to contain within parameters of finite boundaries. Yes, Huntington colorfully chronicles personal experiences where he drops names, reveals the “seduction” that ultimately leads to the dreaded “consumerism” and admits that he, too, had somehow gotten caught up in this quest to “de-valorize” high culture and free art from the bondage of distinction.
Yet, still, we are faced with the prevailing question…What is art?
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