On Criticism

As I write, I want to make clear that I don’t believe in “correct” interpretation of art. Any writing about art or the creative process is extremely personal, reflecting the tastes and prejudices of the author. In fact, the reaction to art is in itself a creative act. If there only existed one possible interpretation of a piece of art, then there really would not be any need to make the art in the first place. It is the fluid opening-up of possibilities that is art’s function, and once we start to judge someone’s reaction to art by an external set of strictly predetermined criteria, that range of possibilities begins to narrow, and art looses its meaning.

As individuals the validity of our own reactions to artistic stimulus belongs to us, and we are not obligated to defend it to the outside world. Nor are we bound to entertain others by sharing these reactions with them, even though we may choose to try. Critics and scholars make their living doing this of course, and repeatedly ask us to read their reactions. In effect they perform their reactions on the page. Since it is a kind of performance, we as readers naturally start to judge it. So criticism, like art, can only be judged on how well it holds our interests, and makes us see the world in a new perspective.

Blogs are of course revolutionizing the world of art criticism, and have made interactive, ongoing criticism possible. They’ve also slightly shifted the burden of entertaining away from the author, since the exchange of ideas needs to be just as interesting as the original entry. While the traditional print-media critic and scholar may object to this, claiming it diffuses or even refutes their point of view, I am open to this, and feel these pages can only be enriched by the commentary and reactions that any may chose to add.

So this diary/blog is offered up freely, but as an artist, with a profound desire to engage. In fact, if I did not feel completely moved everyday by what I have been living over the past months with Tadashi Suzuki and his company, I would never presume that this writing could spark interest. Like an author is fascinated by a story he sees in his head, I feel an unavoidable need to interpret and share what I’m living first hand, driven by a conviction that it is truly remarkable and an important moment in the history of the theatre, and in the world at large.