What would the artworld do without Artnet critic Charlie Finch? He's the gimlet-eyed observer with a heart of gold, to combine a couple cliches that in this case meet up to make something fine. We at Wit think Finch should be getting the critics' prizes, fuck it all.
Finch's ideas and the mode of their expression (not to mention his ethical sense, and we also like his uxoriousness, it reminds us of Mr. Wit Of The Staircase) are far better than many other more lauded critics. "A Pulitzer for Finch!", we say here.
There must be online-only categories for this press prize by now. As is now often the case with many subjects, the truth about some aspects of the art world is often only available online. Finch's decades-long contribution to any existing art world reality principle deserves to be recognized and rewarded.
"The high-end market just described is the seeking of surplus capital for true value, which lands on a work of art, because that work of art is perceived as unique, often in a highly arbitrary manner that disregards questions of esthetics and connoisseurship. The news is not that a Picasso is worth $100 million, but that $100 million is worth the Picasso!"
Link: A New Market Theory of Art - artnet Magazine.
Above, a photo booth portrait of Pop Art collector Ethel Scull, by Andy Warhol.
Comments