Why I Let My Art Newspaper Subscription Lapse

Dear Editor,

My subscription to Art News ran out recently and I am not renewing.

I thought I would tell you why.

I made a mistake subscribing in the first place.

I thought Art News would be to the art-world what, for instance, the FT is to business.

Sure you have a certain amount of insider favour-trading and re-cycling of press releases in the FT, as in any newspaper.

Along with articles about how Western Civilisation will crumble if the Government gives one penny less to the Arts than it did last year.

That goes with the territory.

It's the delicate souls a-flutter at a two-hundred year old transgression of this year's taboo.

The use of -isms to splash `political' meaning onto empty work.

When a museum `apologises' for its `implication in slavery', its PR department counts the column-inches it generates.

I am not interested in the moral character or beliefs of artists / curators / gallerists / researchers / restorers / dealers / whatever else.

I want to read about the work they are doing.

Not what they are saying to demonstrate their candidacy for in-group membership.

So I didn't renew my subscription.

Regards

A Former Subscriber