I was going to title this post ‘negative reviews’ referring to non-reviews—shows I’ve visited that did not speak to me, and so no reviews were forthcoming. Silence as a review, so to speak. But, of course, readers have no way of knowing what exhibitions I attend and pass by without comment.
Visiting an exhibition without being engaged enough to write about it is my worst judgment about a show. If I write about your exhibition, remember this if—especially if–I seem harsh, OK?
Having said that, if you happen to see me at your exhibition and wonder why I haven’t written about it, remember this as well: I write for myself and my band of fellow travelers. This means I have plenty of material at hand that has yet to see the light of day, and—who knows—might never (for example, I have been sitting on a review of Camille Paglia’s last book since December).
(Who are my fellow travelers? My fellow autodidacts who have escaped from, or who are fleeing from, the Academy: from Theory, Materialism, and Marxism–the dead, sinking raft of life-choking ISMs.)
Examples of non-reviews include the recently closed ‘Contemporaries 2013’ at Bonfoey, and ‘British Drawings from the Cleveland Museum of Art.’ I’ve visited both shows more than once in an attempt to find something to write about, but no go. Hush! It’s best to say nothing more.