Peter Gordon’s critique of Friedrich’s paintings seems to be essentially ideological rather than aesthetic. He’s not saying that Friedrich is in any technical sense a bad painter . Rather he is saying that he disapproves of Friedrichs stance towards nature. Now whether he or we know what Friedrichs stance towards nature is , is anyone’s guess.But Gordon apparently thinks it’s obvious.It is assumed that Friedrich is projecting an ideology of dominance or dominion. This elevates man over nature and is bad. I’m not overly enamored of Friedrich but I do not like this kind of criticism. It turns paintings into stories and stories into tracts. Paintings are most importantly things in themselves. Yes they can carry messages and say something. But that is secondary at best. If it is primary, it is not a good painting. Whatever his limitations, I don’t think Friedrich was a pictorial propagandist. So if you want to attack Friedrich, go after him as a painter, not as a pamphleteer.
Peter Gordon’s critique of Friedrich’s paintings seems to be essentially ideological rather than aesthetic. He’s not saying that Friedrich is in any technical sense a bad painter . Rather he is saying that he disapproves of Friedrichs stance towards nature. Now whether he or we know what Friedrichs stance towards nature is , is anyone’s guess.But Gordon apparently thinks it’s obvious.It is assumed that Friedrich is projecting an ideology of dominance or dominion. This elevates man over nature and is bad. I’m not overly enamored of Friedrich but I do not like this kind of criticism. It turns paintings into stories and stories into tracts. Paintings are most importantly things in themselves. Yes they can carry messages and say something. But that is secondary at best. If it is primary, it is not a good painting. Whatever his limitations, I don’t think Friedrich was a pictorial propagandist. So if you want to attack Friedrich, go after him as a painter, not as a pamphleteer.
As I read Peter Gordon's piece on Caspar David Friedrich I thought more than once, "This reads like something Ellsworth Toohey might've written."
The weekly poem gives on hope that all is not lost with poetry.