NYT Defense for Wednesday

Due to my fascination with visual art, I was drawn to Holland Cotter’s article from Friday, February 26th, “At a Biennial on a Budget, Tweaking and Provoking.”
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/26/arts/design/26biennial.html

I was further drawn into the piece by Cotter’s smooth, accessible writing style and his jolting opening phrase about a “pre-emptive effort at damage control.” Cotter’s use of the second and first person draws in the reader, making the art more accessible, rather than estranging someone who may disagree. The “But” comes at the beginning of the fifth paragraph: “But if the museum gets full points for truth in advertising, it can also claim credit for a solid and considered product.”

Cotter lets the art do the talking rather than burdening the piece with critique. He uses wonderful adjectives in the opening of the piece that tie into the title, such as “slight,” “Spartan,” and “hermetic.” I admire the way he related the works of art to each other to convey the overall feel of the exhibit.

Cotter’s authority comes in when he reveals his background research by describing the methods of artists, and from his own extensive art and criticism credentials. He won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for criticism and has served on the board of directors of the International Association of Art Critics.