Art Critic or P.R. Person

Years ago when I wrote an art column for a northern Ohio newspaper, I saw my role as one that not only announces local exhibitions, but also teaches and introduces an art historical context for many of the shows. It didn’t take me too long to discover the editorial line I was not allowed to cross. While my editor loved my writing, I had to remember that the goal of the newspaper was to bring people to the museums and galleries and there were certain shows that would be the lead story regardless of its strength. As an art historian and not a journalist, this was a real eye-opener for me. How could loyalty to certain artists, museums, and even private galleries supersede an allegiance to the discourse of art? Not only can this poisonous bias permeate throughout mainstream art criticism if not kept in check by writers, but it is the backbone of Cincinnati’s art community.

Last week while visiting a few shows at the Weston Art Gallery, I was asked by a few gallery employees if I knew personally the local artist whose photographs were being exhibited in one of the galleries. I didn’t and in fact had never heard of him. I know personally almost no local artists. What interested me were their claims to how long they’ve known him and very little comment about his work. Here we go. Another example of a Cincinnati gallery exhibiting the artist, not the art. When I saw the work, I understood why. The black and white photographs are not bad, they simply didn’t illicit any kind of response from me so I reviewed the other two exhibitions in the gallery. Perhaps in a few days after the images brewed for awhile, I would have something to say and post it on my blog. Unfortunately, the images simply faded. Until a couple of days ago when I noticed not one but two local publications, City Beat and Cincinnati Magazine included write-ups about this artist and the exhibition this month. Does this reflect an allegiance to the artist or to the gallery? I don’t know.

Two stories about this one show that ignore the other two shows in the same gallery seems a bit saturating until I remind myself this is Cincinnati. This city not only enjoys celebrating its community support of one of its own, but proudly exhibits the incestral core of the arts community. This is far more pervasive than the old adage, “it’s who you know, not what you know.” Many Cincinnati local art critics are themselves artists who have shown in a number of Cincinnati galleries or have worked or do work for any number of our city’s art organizations. Is there a conflict of interest here? I think most art critics would agree there is a blatant conflict. But here in Cincinnati’s art world, a community that literally resides in the shadow of P&G Headquarters, the symbols of successful p.r. marketing, this is business as usual. Marketing is in the interest of the arts. No matter the cost to the creative and intellectual art discussion.

Blogging about art instead of writing for a local publication helps keep the blood of a p.r. man off my hands. I maintain absolutely no allegiance to any artist or art organization here in Cincinnati or elsewhere. My loyalty is to art. Though I have to thank Cincinnati's local arts community for a wonderful irony. Its marketing strategies has made branding myself as Cincinnati’s Art Snob effortless.