Anodyne
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
 
Open Letter to Richard Rhodes, Editor, Canadian Art

Dear Rick,

I’m writing to add another voice in opposition to R.M. Vaughan’s embarrassing attempt at reviewing the Intertidal exhibition. Vaughan’s gossipy travelogue crystallized a dissatisfaction that I have felt with Canadian Art for some time now. It seems that what was once Canada’s visual arts magazine of record has, over the last few years, somehow been transformed into something resembling Art News lite, full of rambling first person accounts of visiting exhibitions and various amusing factoids and squibs.

Vaughan’s review is a sad mess. He provides no basis for his condescending dismissals of the work on display, beyond block quotes from curator Dieter Roelstraete (who, I imagine, is appalled at being exploited in this fashion), followed by banal put-downs like, “Uh-huh.” I can’t believe that you, as an intelligent editor who has published much good work by critics like Nancy Tousley, Roy Arden, Trevor Mahovsky, Ken Lum, etc., would judge this piece suitable for publication. Vaughan’s lame attempts at critical analysis would not pass muster on a Fine Arts 100 midterm, let alone in a national Canadian magazine.

Ultimately, the presence of Vaughan’s writing in the magazine sends a strong, and, I think, dangerous signal that Canadian Art may no longer be a viable forum for well-written, carefully considered criticism.

As Canadian Art does not have a letters section, I will post this letter for an extended period on my blog, Anodyne, http://vananodyne.blogspot.com.

Very sincerely yours,

Christopher Brayshaw
Vancouver, B.C.
- posted by cjb @ 9:26 AM


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