{Appreciation and Criticism}[10th October 1990]

[Redbook8:21-23][19901010:1531h]{Appreciation and Criticism}[10th October 1990]

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*The distinction, in a theory of artistic criticism, between critical findings (which may be objective relative to a tradition of ‘merit’) and appreciative judgements (which are dependent on personal taste), apart from being blurred in practice (eg the spoken comments of critics), may be subverted by pointing out that the tradition against which critical findings are measured (to give a truth value, true of false) is at least analogous, on a collective scale, to the individual criteria giving rise to appreciative judgements.

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In practice, if an artistic fellowship (or a ‘censorship’, such as a hanging committee) were consciously to adopt a critical tradition and attempt to judge work against it, all they would do would be to act as a check on the free flow and development of ideas. ‘Maintaining standards’ is exactly what they would be doing. Over a period, given normal underlying patterns of change, pressure would build up until it became irresistible, leading (inside or outside the institution or fellowship) to a sudden breakthrough – the artistic equivalent of Kuhn’s **** ‘paradigm shift’ in Science. To the extent that the followers of the new |# standards adopted the same sort of institutional framework, so they too would tend to act as censors in the same fashion.

*ref E[ncyclopaedia] B[ritannica] 14:104ff

**(cf E[ncyclopaedia] B[ritannica] 14:106, para (iii), l[ine] penult[imate][&f (‘In a very real sense, the preference for any given approach |*** may be construed as an appreciative judgement in itself’)])

[What I think this all may fail to take full (or any) account of is the effect of, & reaction to, any art on an emotional level; but see next entry]

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