I often read the work of activist, writer, and historian Rebecca Solnit. I love her fiery rhetoric and meandering musings. Recently, as I was reading Men Explain Things to Me, I ran into a great quote on our topic of the moment--criticism--so I excerpt it here:

Rebecca Solnit, photo: Adrian Mendozo

There is a kind of counter-criticism that seeks to expand the work of art, by connecting it, opening up its meanings, inviting in the possibilities. A great work of criticism can liberate a work of art, to be seen fully, to remain alive, to engage in a conversation that will not ever end but will instead keep feeding the imagination. Not against interpretation, but against confinement, against the killing of the spirit. Such criticism is itself great art.

This is a kind of criticism that does not pit the critic against the text [Or in our case, the object. --Susan], does not seek authority. It seeks instead to travel with the work and its ideas, to invite it to blossom and invite others into a conversation that might have previously seemed impenetrable, to draw out relationships that might have been unseen and open doors that might have been locked. This is a kind of criticism that respects the essential mystery of a work of art, which is in part its beauty and its pleasure, both of which are irreducible and subjective. The worst criticism seeks to have the last word and leave the rest of us in silence; the best opens up an exchange that need never end.

Solnit is trying to describe a different kind of criticism, a counter-criticism, which doesn't nail things down but opens them up. We want the conversation to continue. And it is. Check out the ever-expanding comment section on the website.

I would like to publicly thank Sienna Patti for taking the lead on raising funds for new website content. Marion Fulk and Patti Bleicher have joined her. Thanks to all three of them for contributing a total of $1500 to the development of new content for AJF. It's just fantastic.

I'm off this month to Estonia and Sweden with AJF's group of 26 people. I look forward to seeing all my friends and visiting the Estonians and Swedes. I want to particularly thank Linda Peshkin, Tanel Veenre, and Sofia Björkman for all their hard work in planning this trip.

Vi ses senare (that's "See you later" in Swedish), 

Susan Cummins

AJF Chair

Check out this thought-provoking interview with Kadri Mälk, the head of the metals department at the Estonian Academy of Art in Tallinn, Estonia. The interview ranges over a wide array of topics, from the dedication it takes to run a large academic department to what inspiration is and how it affects the making of work. A fascinating read!

Kadri Mälk: (long pause) It is very hard to generalize, even here the local scene is quite diverse. You can see more design-oriented work, more personal work. I try to encourage these people who are afraid of having somehow veiled, personal, or exceptional ways of expressing. If they compare themselves to what is happening in different places with people their age, they begin unconsciously to bring other aesthetics into their own work. Read more...