6月11日作业

clover213UID: 2807466

issue144
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"It is the artist, not the critic,* who gives society something of lasting value." *a person who evaluates works of art, such as novels, films, music, paintings, etc.
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Art, in its broadest meaning, is the expression of creativity or imagination. The term arts denotes a collection of disciplines whose principal purpose is the output of material for the viewer or audience to interpret. Therefore, the ultimate judgments on arts are made by their viewers which have formed a specific group-- art critic. In that case, art work and its critic form an organic entity. If an artist contributes something of lasting value it must be with the help of critics’ insightful opinions.
Artist can’t live without critic. Because, generally speaking, many art works are beyond most laypeople’s understanding, that is to say different people would have different interpretation of one same art work and no one can determine what are the artist originally purpose to express. In that case, art critics who are expected to have a keen eye for art and a thorough knowledge of art history can step up and take the responsibility to evaluating art which can help common people understand and interpret art more easily and insightfully. Therefore, critics are like the directions in the navigation of appreciating an art work. They make a combination of their knowledge on art and specific insights to give general groups an instruction on evaluating art. Without critics, art will be too abstract to understand by most laypeople and resulted in a loss of mass common viewers and become desolate. Therefore, critic is the guarantee that art is receipted by common viewers.
In addition, since the common viewers are lack of professional insights on art, the value of one certain art work is mostly determined by the art critic’s judgments. Many famous and celebrated artists were not recognized of their time, often because their art was in a style not yet understood or favored by critics. In that case, a critic’s evaluation seems crucial for an art work being outstanding and somehow becoming something of lasting value. One old saying from China suggests that there is not lack of talents, what really in need are the people who can appreciate those talents. Take Van Gogh for example, he is the one of whose still life paintings have recently broken all records in selling for $50 million, sold only one of his paintings in his entire career. The only reason that can explain why his painting become so popular after he died is that critics in the time after he died form a sense of appreciation of Van Gogh’s work. So, if artists manage to make art works that of great value, there must be critics who appreciate their works.
What’s more, a critic’s evaluation of an art work can serves as a catalyst to impulse artist creates more masterpieces. Art critics usually criticize art in the context of aesthetics or the theory of beauty. One of criticism’s goals is the pursuit of a rational basis for art appreciation. A critic provides feedback for artists, and constructive criticism, if taken to heart, can result in better work.
In sum, for the detailed above, art works and their critics form an organic entity. Critics play an important part of an art work which of lasting value.