Sunday, November 26, 2006

Christopher Knight writes bright

Various quotes showing what a fine and funny writer Christopher Knight can be from his "Still an island apart", a "critics notebook" article in the Los Angeles Times "Calendar" (arts?) section (11-19-06):

Ouch. Sticks and stones can break your bones, but indifference is fatal.

For this I should put my toothpaste and hair gel in a plastic bag and stand in line at the airport?

Overall, the critical reaction has been mixed. Yawning, the New York Times said the show is dull. Annoyed, the Village Voice dismissed it as a third-rate mishmash. Popping a vein, the New York Sun declared it infuriating.

Both painters burned through Picasso's Cubism like a Santa Ana-fueled brush fire.

Lately, Manhattan institutions have taken a drubbing for flubbing contemporary art.


Unfortunately, Knight doesn't seem to have any aversion to cliches: "sock puppet," and "get the memo" for two. And even "Popping a vein" above for a third example.