Along with his rival Clement Greenberg, art critic Harold Rosenberg (1906-1978) was one of the leading voices in the world of art in New York City from the 1940s through the 1970s. Rosenberg coined the term “Action Painting” for what in later years became known as Abstract Expressionism with such leading artists as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Clifford Still, Bernard Newman and Arshile Gorky. This collection of 28 very readable, highly entertaining and insightful essays on individual 20th century artists, 20th century art movements and the nature of art criticism is really a treasure for anybody interested in modern art and criticism. Here are several Harold Rosenberg quotes taken from three essays along with my comments:

Dubuffet: Shockers and Fairy Tales
“The scale of the work in its setting of skyscrapers is exactly right –large enough to assert its presence, yet maintaining a human dimension that softens the surrounding cliffs of stone and glass. Its cool colors and pleasantly textured surface are physically relaxing. The total image, resembling that of giant mushrooms, evokes associations with illustrations of fairy tales. In summer it should serve as a shady arbor and have fountains of iced drinks flowing out of it. On school holidays it might be festooned with ropes of licorice and rows of old-time candy buttons on narrow strips of paper. ---------- It is as if Rosenberg is telling us Dubuffet’s sculpture is a messenger from the land of childhood and imagination proclaiming “Look at me. I’m real. I count!” Personally, I enjoy such messengers – the more creative and wacky and imaginative, the better. Bigger doesn’t always necessarily mean better, but, in the case of this piece of public sculpture, bigger is most certainly better.

As has been customary with Dubuffet, the unveiling of Four Trees was accompanied by an exposition by the artist of the significance of the sculpture and how to appreciate it. (Dubuffet is one of those artists who make things easy for reporters and reviewers by giving them inside information into the aims of the work.) ---------- Here we get into the whole issue of an artist’s intent or purpose for creating in the first place which can turn into a lively philosophic debate Does the artist occupy a privileged position and voice in proclaiming his or her own message? Or, once the work has been created, should we take the artist’s critical commentary as simply one voice among others offering comments and critical evaluation of the work?

In brief, Dubuffet conceives art to be a kind of Disneyland – a notion that is, of course, in no sense subversive but is, on the contrary, the traditional middle-class view of art as a relaxation from the serious business of life and the rigors of competitive enterprise. --------- Curiously enough, as I am sure Harold Rosenberg was well aware, lifting the viewer out of the welter of practical, utilitarian concerns and into an ethereal world of imagination, an oasis of freedom and intuitive knowing, is central to much philosophizing about aesthetic experience.


Four Trees by Jean Dubuffet

Reality Again: The New Photorealism
Once the illusion is dissolved, what is left is an object that is interesting not as a work of art but as a successful simulation of something that is not art. The major response to it is curiosity: “How did he do it.” One admires Hanson’s Businessman neither as a sculpture nor as a concept but as a technical feat that seems a step in advance of the waxworks museum.” ---------- Exactly right: I visited a Duane Hanson sculpture exhibit and everybody was abuzz with the artist’s technical mastery: hair on arms and legs, the lips and eyes and skin, the facial expression and posture (all, just like real!). In a way, it reminded me of how an audience can become fixated, marveling at a musician’s technical dexterity playing an instrument rather than listening to the music.


A sculpture by Duane Hanson

“Illusionist art appeals to what the public knows not about art but about things. This ability to brush art aside is the secret of the popularity of illusionism. Ever since the Greeks told of painted grapes being pecked by real birds, wonder at skill in deceiving the eye has moved more people than has appreciation of aesthetic quality.” ---------- True, but Rosenberg is being a bit harsh here since the majority of art relies on illusion on some level – for example, a realistic landscape depicting three dimensions on a two dimensional surface; indeed, some measure of Illusion appears to be required to create the magical spark giving art that special something compelling us to return to the work for yet again another look. When this spark of magic is intentionally omitted, say in Carl Andre Equivalent VIII, art can become very flat very quickly.



Equivalent VIII - a sculpture/instillation by Carl Andre - what you see is what you get - no imagination, please.

Criticism and Its Premises
“That the ubiquitous presence of the visual mass media, from advertising powers to industrial design, has introduced into painting and sculpture a new factor which art criticism must reckon with – and that to do so, the critic must clarify his position toward contemporary society as a basis for evaluating the art and non-art.” ---------- This statement is one of the eight propositions outlined in this chapter published in the early 1970s and is still as true today and then – an art critic is required to address issues of sociology as well as art since both are inextricably entwined.

What but criticism can tell us what we are doing and if it is what we want to do? What but criticism can indicate other ends, explain what makes those other ends essential, and indicate what must be done to serve them? ---------- Again, spot-on. The art critic’s responsibility is not only to delve into the details of the work’s form and content but judge how the art and artist fit into the context of art history and contemporary culture and how such creative output might impact the future. Also, most importantly, Harold Rosenberg squarely states how an art critic should set a high standard for what is considered good art. ( )

Along with his rival Clement Greenberg, art critic Harold Rosenberg (1906-1978) was one of the leading voices in the world of art in New York City from the 1940s through the 1970s. Rosenberg coined the term “Action Painting” for what in later years became known as Abstract Expressionism with such leading artists as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Clifford Still, Bernard Newman and Arshile Gorky. This collection of 28 very readable, highly entertaining and insightful essays on individual 20th century artists, 20th century art movements and the nature of art criticism is really a treasure for anybody interested in modern art and criticism. Here are several Harold Rosenberg quotes taken from three essays along with my comments:

Dubuffet: Shockers and Fairy Tales
“The scale of the work in its setting of skyscrapers is exactly right –large enough to assert its presence, yet maintaining a human dimension that softens the surrounding cliffs of stone and glass. Its cool colors and pleasantly textured surface are physically relaxing. The total image, resembling that of giant mushrooms, evokes associations with illustrations of fairy tales. In summer it should serve as a shady arbor and have fountains of iced drinks flowing out of it. On school holidays it might be festooned with ropes of licorice and rows of old-time candy buttons on narrow strips of paper. ---------- It is as if Rosenberg is telling us Dubuffet’s sculpture is a messenger from the land of childhood and imagination proclaiming “Look at me. I’m real. I count!” Personally, I enjoy such messengers – the more creative and wacky and imaginative, the better. Bigger doesn’t always necessarily mean better, but, in the case of this piece of public sculpture, bigger is most certainly better.

As has been customary with Dubuffet, the unveiling of Four Trees was accompanied by an exposition by the artist of the significance of the sculpture and how to appreciate it. (Dubuffet is one of those artists who make things easy for reporters and reviewers by giving them inside information into the aims of the work.) ---------- Here we get into the whole issue of an artist’s intent or purpose for creating in the first place which can turn into a lively philosophic debate Does the artist occupy a privileged position and voice in proclaiming his or her own message? Or, once the work has been created, should we take the artist’s critical commentary as simply one voice among others offering comments and critical evaluation of the work?

In brief, Dubuffet conceives art to be a kind of Disneyland – a notion that is, of course, in no sense subversive but is, on the contrary, the traditional middle-class view of art as a relaxation from the serious business of life and the rigors of competitive enterprise. --------- Curiously enough, as I am sure Harold Rosenberg was well aware, lifting the viewer out of the welter of practical, utilitarian concerns and into an ethereal world of imagination, an oasis of freedom and intuitive knowing, is central to much philosophizing about aesthetic experience.

Four Trees by Jean Dubuffet

Reality Again: The New Photorealism
Once the illusion is dissolved, what is left is an object that is interesting not as a work of art but as a successful simulation of something that is not art. The major response to it is curiosity: “How did he do it.” One admires Hanson’s Businessman neither as a sculpture nor as a concept but as a technical feat that seems a step in advance of the waxworks museum.” ---------- Exactly right: I visited a Duane Hanson sculpture exhibit and everybody was abuzz with the artist’s technical mastery: hair on arms and legs, the lips and eyes and skin, the facial expression and posture (all, just like real!). In a way, it reminded me of how an audience can become fixated, marveling at a musician’s technical dexterity playing an instrument rather than listening to the music.

A sculpture by Duane Hanson

“Illusionist art appeals to what the public knows not about art but about things. This ability to brush art aside is the secret of the popularity of illusionism. Ever since the Greeks told of painted grapes being pecked by real birds, wonder at skill in deceiving the eye has moved more people than has appreciation of aesthetic quality.” ---------- True, but Rosenberg is being a bit harsh here since the majority of art relies on illusion on some level – for example, a realistic landscape depicting three dimensions on a two dimensional surface; indeed, some measure of Illusion appears to be required to create the magical spark giving art that special something compelling us to return to the work for yet again another look. When this spark of magic is intentionally omitted, say in Carl Andre Equivalent VIII, art can become very flat very quickly.

Equivalent VIII - a sculpture/instillation by Carl Andre - what you see is what you get - no imagination, please.

Criticism and Its Premises
“That the ubiquitous presence of the visual mass media, from advertising powers to industrial design, has introduced into painting and sculpture a new factor which art criticism must reckon with – and that to do so, the critic must clarify his position toward contemporary society as a basis for evaluating the art and non-art.” ---------- This statement is one of the eight propositions outlined in this chapter published in the early 1970s and is still as true today and then – an art critic is required to address issues of sociology as well as art since both are inextricably entwined.

What but criticism can tell us what we are doing and if it is what we want to do? What but criticism can indicate other ends, explain what makes those other ends essential, and indicate what must be done to serve them? ---------- Again, spot-on. The art critic’s responsibility is not only to delve into the details of the work’s form and content but judge how the art and artist fit into the context of art history and contemporary culture and how such creative output might impact the future. Also, most importantly, Harold Rosenberg squarely states how an art critic should set a high standard for what is considered good art.



( )

I suspect Rosenberg is not as well remembered as his frenemy Clement Greenberg because he didn't make big theoretical statements. But that's what makes reading him now such a joy (as opposed to reading Greenberg) - his beautifully written essays are based on observation and thought, not on sweeping generalizations and ideology. There is the occasional misstep, like his belief that the complaints of minorities and feminists were misguided, but those are very rare, and every essay and review in this collection has some brilliance to impart. ( )