To Censor the Art Critic

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Title:	To Censor the Art Critic
Creator:	Merrie K
Date(s):	May 1976
Medium:	print
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
Topic:
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To Censor the Art Critic is a 1976 Star Trek: TOS essay by Merrie K.

It was printed in Spectrum #25.

The author begins with: "[I] resent self-appointed art critics with little or no background; who set themselves up, godlike, to pick and choose according to taste and not by true artistic judgement."

Some Topics Discussed

• people who critique art should probably just shut up because they don't know what they are talking about
• artists shouldn't have to follow any guidelines and just express their feelings

The Essay

I am really quite angry at the directions given of what media should be used, how (size, layout, margins, etc.) it should be presented, and the general underlying snide feeling that artists have no preference for themselves of what media lends itself best to the feeling wished to be engendered. God! an artist knows by feel of paper and pencil or pen what will flow from his or her fingers! No one ever proscribe what, or how a piece of artwork is to he born but the artist himself! Once made, it can be reduced or blown up to fit a format if need be. I would also like to have seen the person who would have deigned to ask Picasso to produce so-and-so, in a certain ink, in a certain size, on certain paper! Damn, that takes gall!

I am not presuming to say that any of the artists are of Picasso's quality, I am saying each one of us has every bit as much soul and preference for expressing it, though perhaps far short of his born talent. If I would choose to present a drawing of William Shatner 6' x 6' with a 1' x 1' hickey on his nose, that is exactly how I would draw it! You artists out there who are disgusted, unite, and we'll draw pictures a yard square if need be to show an artist draws what he feels, and that feeling...just might not fit inside 8.5" x 11".

I have been viewing fanzine art for a little while now and am gratified to see that there is a decent outlet for frustrated artists like myself. Most of the artwork, considering possible high school backgrounds [in art instruction], show really high quality talent involved. I do, however, resent limited schooled people, in the art field, making unqualified judgements about other people's work and publishing these comments as Godlike!!!

Now we can get to the crux of my gripe: taste vs. judgement. One who is illiterate can judge books by the pictures on the covers. One who lacks artistic perspective judges by what he or she likes! And folks, that is personal taste. If a person is exposed to fine artwork and learns to see merit in those works that don't just appeal to his taste, then he is beginning to become a critic. A critic, however, has a lot more than exposure to what is "good." He can perceive the amount of training and ability that backs that piece of artwork. He judges on more than the barest superficial veneer of taste, but on the many different levels he sees before him.

To be fair to those buying zines, there just might be a few people around that do not have the same taste as those who are picking and choosing by this haphazard method. I grant that if you don't like their choices, you don't have to buy the thing. Then again, if the writing is of good quality, you might buy it anyway. So, if one is a good journalist, he just might try presenting good quality artwork that doesn't necessarily appeal to your taste. There might be many people who could appreciate it and would thank you; and some artists who are being overlooked can be appreciated by others.

Fan Comments

The "Dear Fandom Annie" column in "Spectrum" #27 addressed this essay in a round-a-bout way:

Dear Fandom Annie: Who do editors think they are that they can tell an artist how to do artwork for a fanzine? Not only do they ask the artist to use certain size, shape, and layout, but they have the audacity to tell us exactly what type of medium we must use. What gall! I feel the artists should have the right to produce what they think best conveys their inner feelings and not prostitute themselves. - Angered Artist. -- Dear Angered Artist: A good artist is a disciplined artist, and one with discipline can work within the limits zine eds have to set, obviously because so many do. One must realize what it costs to produce art for a zine - and the fact that the more costly it becomes, the rare expensive the zine is going to be. To avoid problems, the eds specify the mediums, size, etc. The most inexpensive way to repro art is electrostencil but its abilities are limited, so the next step is offset. Some artists don't seem to realize that offset does not occur like manna from heaven, you have to pay for it. Pencil originals with halftones require a heavier metal plate and casphotographic process at an incredible cost just to make the screening negative and plate, so Eds ask for art in Black ink, no halftones and if the gods are with"them it can be done on the "instant process" that uses a paper or foil (and therefore less costly) plate. In any event, if the drawing is too large, you pay to have it reduced. If it's too small you pay to have it enlarged. Believe me, Eds have better things to do that - think of how many ways to inhibit your creative flow. Take pity on them, or don't complain about the high prices if you've helped create them. Since many zines are featuring beautifully done art that does conform, perhaps the problem lies with your ego, not the Ed's desire to exercise his power.