Dear Brian,
Tourism, geography, retirement and amateurism. This a great set of categories to address questions about art criticism and art. Not the only ones but interesting ones for sure. Let me deal with them in order.
Tourism: We are all cultural tourists at this point, spectators to the global "show" being staged by the Saatchis and Gagosians of the world art market. Consider Nuit Blanche, for example, whch in Toronto attracts almost a million people over one 12 hour period to view contemporary art. There is no real public engagement; it's a big party. But, on the other hand, it's a very big party. More people are seeing more art of arguably better quality than we have witnessed in over 50 years, possibly ever. That means something, it's just to early to tell what exactly. So Victoria is not particularly exceptional if the art tends toward the tourism trade. Take it to be symbolic of a general cultural trend, not an end point, possibly a beginning.
Geography: Everyone has incredible access to information today. For art education, it does not matter where you are. Of course it's a different story for production and connections and exhibiting, but practically there's no reason an artist in Victoria cannot be working at the same level as anyone in New York, London or Berlin. In fact, I believe this is reflected in the quality of work of younger artists coming out of the art schools. They will never get New York style attention living in Victoria or Lethbridge or Brandon or Fredericton but a lot of smart, well informed artists are coming out of the art schools and producing work informed by the prevailing global ideas and styles. Whether that art is good or bad is a different question.
Retirement: Victoria is quite possibly at the cutting edge of what will be Euro-North American phenomenon in the coming two or three decades as the baby boom hits the proverbial wall. It may look like Sunday painting right now, but as those boomers see their ever shortening horizon, and absent pension funds, they're going to get busy. Creativity, DIY, innovation will all be part of the last ditch effort to survive and to make, finally, some kind of difference. It underestimates this "aging" population to think they are not as bored as you are by flower painting. It's just that nobody has yet presented them with anything they can sink their gums into:)
Amateurism: This is the most interesting and difficult of your categories. Depending on which pundit you follow, we are either in a period of unprecedented "dumbing down," or of unprecedented creative opportunity. I favour the latter view because art has over the past 30 years become extremely professionalized. It has not broadened and become more inclusive (except as spectacle) even though those were values championed in the 60s and 70s, manifested in myriad critical kinds of art practices. I refuse to believe that those artists were just playing a game of critique or that they eventually "sold out." Seeds were planted then that are sprouting only now. It's time to start looking for art where you least expect it. And that goes for artists as well as critics.
So, what else? You're obviously seriously interested in debate and upping the ante as it were. If it's not too presumptuous of me, I'd suggest you hook up with the folks at Open Space and the Art Gallery of Greater VIctoria and the Maltwood, and maybe even get some of those smarty pants across the Straight over at Filip involved, to get this topic into some kind of public forum. You just might find a lot of people in the Victoria community to be more interested, possibly even desperate, for something of substance like that. Marketing of course is key today, so find a sponsor, a bank preferably:)
And finally, it's hard today not just to find good criticism and also to write it, but more, to find good readers. Believe me, I'm trying. Drop by my blog, http://www.readingart.ca/blog/
Write on!
Rob Labossiere
Toronto
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