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Notes -
I enjoyed the essay, as well as "The Colors of Her Coat,"but lacking in his usual clarity -- I don't know what he likes, or whether he's really secure enough in those preferences to defy the snobs. He seems to like Studio Ghibli style custom images, Art Deco doors, and stained glass windows. He sort of wanted a stained glass window with a famous scientist in it a while back, but I think not enough to actually commission one. Of course, custom art windows aren't cheap, but that was also true in the past, people who weren't nobility would have to get by with art they made themselves. Sometimes he seems to hope that AI art will solve his problem, but I don't think it will, because things that can be printed already exist to suite all tastes, and things like doors and windows are not getting there any time soon.
I feel basically neutral about Angelus Novus. I think I like the art better than the flowery description that Scott quoted, despite not liking it all that much. The description of the new mono print process he used to make it was interesting. The mouth is quite interesting. Visiting David did not fill me with awe at the human figure, though I was impressed with the scale.
The Aesthetic Experience aspect of great art may have been overhyped. Sometimes people have great spiritual experiences when praying or meditating or whatever, but traditional Christianity is right to discourage people from chasing after it. It's neat to go to the Chicago Art Institute and look atet impressionist paintings. They're quite large! It's fine to just admire them, they have good colors, the painters used a lot of paint! Someone probably could gain art fans by doing actually Impressionist things, like hauling a giant canvas off to the haystack every week to get the different lights. But hardly anyone wants to, they are not enamored with the idea, it is not the right moment, there have only ever been a few people who were truly passionate about it, and there aren't any I've heard of now.
Writing about art critics seems unlikely to lead much of anywhere.
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