The Painted Word
by Tom Wolfe. St. Martin’s Press, reissued 2024.
A controversial book filled with many humorous pages of ridicule about the modern art world, including an attack on “art speak,” the nauseating language used by critics and artists alike. Wolfe smugly suggests that in today’s world, visual art only exists to illustrate the text! Pretentious prose has become a norm in art world communication. Although artists vehemently criticize this style of writing, unfortunately, many believe that their work will not be taken seriously unless they imitate what they despise. Wolfe investigates what has become of Modern Art and examines the control that art critics have over the art world at large.
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