David Salle on the Experience of Art | Conversations with Tyler

When the audience for visual art expanded from small circles of artists and collectors into broader culture, the way art was experienced shifted from aesthetics to explanation. Art, it became thought, should be about something. But David Salle rebukes this literal-mindedness: according to him, what we think and feel when reacting to a piece of art is more authoritative than what’s written on the label next to it. A painter, sculptor, and filmmaker, David is also the author of How to See: Looking, Talking, and Thinking about Art, a highly regarded book on artistic criticism.
David joined Tyler to discuss the fifteen (or so) functions of good art, why it’s easier to write about money than art, what’s gone wrong with art criticism today, how to cultivate good taste, the reasons museum curators tend to be risk-averse, the effect of modern artistic training on contemporary art, the evolution of Cézanne, how the centrality of photography is changing fine art, what makes some artists’ retrospectives more compelling than others, the physical challenges of painting on a large scale, how artists view museums differently, how a painting goes wrong, where his paintings end up, what great collectors have in common, how artists collect art differently, why Frank O’Hara was so important to Alex Katz and himself, what he loves about the films of Preston Sturges, why The Sopranos is a model of artistic expression, how we should change intellectual property law for artists, the disappointing puritanism of the avant-garde, and more.
Transcript and links: conversationswithtyler.com/ep...
David's latest book: www.amazon.com/How-See-Lookin...
Stay connected:
Follow us on Twitter, IG, and Facebook: @cowenconvos
/ cowenconvos
/ cowenconvos
/ cowenconvos
conversationswithtyler.com
mercatus.org

[@patmcdonagh8939]

Thanks so much Tyler C., a great interview with David Salle that opened up everything beautifully with sparkling questions along the way, a great hour spent

[@zebster101]

It's not easy to find outsiders of the world engaging with insiders in meaningful and accessible way. For that, Tyler is owed a lot of credit. Many outside fans have an interest that they do not know how to nourish. Tyler shows one way that is possible. I study economics but my father is a photographer and his mother a painter. We also own a gallery. I grew up around art. I have tastes. I'm not always sure how to talk about them. This has inspired me to try. Thank you!

[@zebster101]

edit: Art world*

[@TheNaturalLawInstitute]

Studied under david in the late 70's and was transformed by the experience.

[@ncueva]

Excellent

[@footprints3030]

David is a genius.

[@Bolaniullen]

Art today is just unfunny prop comedy.