I am teaching a writing class this semester for studio majors and art
education majors. This is a class that helps junior-level college students
learn how to look at and write about art.
Always on the lookout for examples of good writing, there are two in our
paper today. Of all places, the articles are Dave Barry's column and "Get
Fuzzy", the cartoon strip.
As much as I usually disdain his heavy-handed humor, Barry's column gives a
good perspective about NOT understanding contemporary art and further, not
trying to understand. It reminds me of going to the Walker Art Center with
my brother-in-law who insisted on making my every step through a
postmodernist exhibition and then making loud and extremely stupid remarks
which (I am sure) he perceived as humorous. I digress. The Barry column
includes a link to a site that has some very well written critical reviews
of exhibitions. www.artcritical.com Perhaps this site can assist you with
teaching your students to slow down, look, think and write about works of
art.
The cartoon will appeal to those of us who are cat fanciers. The two animal
characters have visited a cat art show and the dog just doesn't get it. For
those of you who don't have this comic strip, here's a website with today's
art critical review. http://www.unitedmedia.com/comics/getfuzzy/
