Where are all the art critics?

I want to follow them!

Someone asked me recently for a list of art critics in Toronto. The list I could think of was quite short. And then I thought: This is what happens when there’s no place to publish criticism reliably in a city/country/industry. Forget about being paid well for it…

I’m chatting with a class of journalism students at Toronto Metropolitan University tomorrow—which I do yearly. The students are passionate and interested in writing and publishing, as well as the ethics of criticism. I get so energized speaking with them and answering their questions. I think: Where will all their enthusiasm go without the proper outlets? Then I get bummed out.

I believe self-publishing is the future, hence why I’m here on Substack. I always recommend writers have agency over their words and to own them in a way that is beneficial. I also wish there were more reliable art publications—it’s valuable to artists, galleries, collectors, and art lovers to have more places to read about art!

Please send recommendations for people doing interesting art writing or criticism my way.

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Paintings I love this week:

• There are a lot of great paintings up in New York right now! The Winter group show seems to be gaining popularity, mirroring its Summer counterpart. My faves right now:

• Arcadia and Elsewhere at James Cohan

Coco Young, Before the storm, 2023

• still, weight, thing, Ciarán Murphy at Grimm Gallery. A great solo exhibition within a sea of group shows.

  

  Ciarán Murphy, wafte, 2023

• The First Taste at Anat Egbi—the first exhibition at their NYC space.

  

  Marisa Adesman, Pluck, 2024

• Drop Scene at Chapter NY

Jin Han Lee, Two Readers in the Moon, 2023

Other news

• Open Letters demand answers to Wanda Nanibush’s departure at the AGO.

• Cindy Sherman poses for Juergen Teller for Marc Jacobs’s campaign. I’m sorry for bringing up Teller again so soon. What I’m really interested in is Cindy Sherman—who typically poses and shoots her photographs. What does it mean when she’s a model? I think it shows how performance-based her photographs are. I’m such a fan.

Cindy Sherman in March Jacobs SS24 campaign. Courtesy Marc Jacobs.

• MASS MoCA has a roller coaster! In his first solo museum exhibition, EJ Hill has installed a rideable sculpture inspired by roller coasters. Exploring amusement parks' significance in the Jim Crow era, Hill sees roller coasters as communal symbols of the pursuit of joy—a vital element in fostering social equity.

  

  @parkprosOnly one person can ride this art museum roller coaster 😳🎢 this is Brava! part of EJ Hill’s “Break Run Helix” exhibit at MASS MoCA #brava #ejhill #massmoca #themepark #rollercoaster #ride #art #contemporaryart

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• How Small Galleries Are Getting Their Artists’ Works Into Museum Collections. An interesting article that speaks with galleries (Jack Barrett, Carvalho Park, Harlan Levey Projects) on the importance and how of getting artists’ work into museums. This has increasingly been a goal of galleries—I might write a full newsletter on it soon.