William Collen

A borderstalker operating at the intersection of art and Christianity. Thoughts about art and aesthetics at and on substack notes @williamcollen

[William Collen @william_collen]

He mentions Robert Rosenblum’s contention that there is a discernible difference in how the history of art unfolded in majority Protestant regions of Europe vs. majority Catholic regions; this is something I’ve suspected, and I will have to read some more about Rosenblum’s ideas.

[William Collen @william_collen]

@JAAnderson7 's The Invisibility of Religion in Contemporary Art
Reading notes: Ch. 3
This chapter was very theoretical, covering every possible way the discussion of religion and art could be conceived. It's a step back from the book’s stated purpose but it provides the...

[William Collen @william_collen]

I think that’s why I’m rather annoyed with the current academic approach as exemplified in the pages of October: it seems that such an approach only serves the critics’ agenda. It is not “getting one’s self out of the way.”

[William Collen @william_collen]

Perhaps this kind of criticism is not sophisticated enough for the academic art world and the prominent critics; but it is more respectful of the artists and their creations.

[William Collen @william_collen]

@JAAnderson7 's Invisibility of Religion in Contemporary Art: reading notes to ch. 2.
This chapter uses Krauss’ essay “Grids” and James Elkins’ "On the Strange Plase of Religion in Contemporary Art" as jumping-off places to explore why it's so rare to find mention of religion...

[William Collen @william_collen]

of the artists themselves, taking what they say about themselves at face value and not attempting to “read in” any psychoanalytic or revolutionary meanings into the works.