Being paid to have ideas about artists and their creations is nice work if you can get it. I’m not one to complain. But there is an occupational hazard: as your critical faculties become more finely honed, your personal preferences slowly dissipate.

Studying a piece of art, watching a play or reading a book, I can share many opinions and viewpoints. I can discuss form and style, pontificate about sociopolitical context, make some historical comparisons, mull over an artist’s intention and offer some thoughts about a work’s "meaning" or reception.

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