The writing life (4)

Last week, Felice Belman, our executive editor, called my attention to a blurb in another paper about a new art exhibit at Dartmouth College. To her, it was a tempting topic for a Monitor story because the art was made primarily of human hair. To me, it was a welcome challenge because it was a chance to write about art.

If I could start my career over again, I might be an art critic. I love to look at pictures and seldom pass up a chance to do so. I am by no means an expert, but I have been lucky in life. I have seen a lot of art and read widely about art and artists. I also took college courses with two terrific art historians.

Still, I am a journalist, meaning a generalist. And I will admit that the art I always envisioned writing about is more conventional than Wenda Gu’s avant-garde works at Baker Library. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this challenge. The challenged was heightened when I discovered how much Wenda Gu distrusts language, which to me, professionally at least, is lifeblood. I took risks in my review, trying to fit the way I wrote to the art I saw. I hope I didn’t stray too far from the main aim of a critic, which is to give people who love art an idea of what to expect.

One of my joys in traveling around New England over the years is that there are so many small museums with so much good art. Some of it is within a day trip of Concord. From time to time, I intend to write about these museums and their offerings and also about art much closer to home.