Popularizer-Historian Paul Johnson Disses 20th Century's Art

This book review by the NY POST's art critic will raise some blood pressures
http://nypost.com/postopinion/books/12736.htm

ART: A NEW HISTORY

silly comment:

Johnson is a best-seller writer.

Readers who probably aren't as knowledgable as most of ye of the fine art n.g. will thus be influenced by the highly regarded conservative writer's takes about realities.

Therefore, my perception of reality is that the short & negative book review in the NY City tabloid will catalyze or agitate an art-interested reader's red body fluid, whether the professional/amateur/buff is pro-twentieth century or anti-twentieth century.

I am admittedly projecting my own sense or feeling upon others; and ain't that what artists do (?).

I actually usually like Miro, Piccaso, Vander Rohe, Warhol, Bauhaus

Are you being coy? That doesn't strike me as a silly statement. Why do you think it is silly?

But isn't it true that Johnson is actually writing about 'conservatism' rather than art? It reminds me of a statment written by the art critic Arthur Danto about art and philosophy: 'Don't look to philosophy to learn about art, for philosophers take from art only that which is of interest to philosophy.'

You may be correct in some cases. There are art crusaders all over the place. My suspicion is, however, that anyone half-way cognizant of art and art history would dismiss Johnson's work out of hand. Johnson may be preaching to the choir: his readers will learn a lot about being a conservative, and erroneously confuse this new knowledge with art history.

Not necessarily. Ambiguity is a favorite device of artists, at least just as much as overt preachiness. But your point is well taken. I think it has merit. One thing to consider about artist's intentions is that they don't really amount to a hill of beans once the work is liberated from the tyranny of the artist's possessions. After liberation, it is a matter of how other's regard the work.

It wouldn't hurt to read it. Of course you run the risk of being infected by weird ideas. Better yet, read it simultaneously with Gombrich or Jansons. That might be quite illuminating.

Just to point out NY Post is owned by Murdoch, and is known in the US as one of the most conservative, pro bush, right wing newspapers. The people who read this paper hate art anyway.

Oh JOY! Something else to spend my limited time doing!

I was amused to see that even Nordic countries consider the color blue to be the overall favorite color! I'd have guessed red, in their case - or at least one of the warm hues!