Roberta Smith Made Kenny Schachter Cry. Twice. And He Still Sings Her Praises
In an Artnet News opinion column, Kenny Schachter discusses Alison Chernick’s documentary House of Criticism, which focuses on art critics Roberta Smith and Jerry Saltz. Schachter writes that he has known Smith and Saltz for more than 35 years and recounts two personal episodes: in 1991, Smith sharply rebuked him for trying to explain a painting to her, and about 20 years later she made him cry again by emailing praise for his writing. He characterizes Smith as a “brilliant, stern” critic and Saltz as a “boundary-pushing populist,” and notes he previously profiled Saltz in a 2016 GQ story later updated for Artnet. The piece is primarily a tribute to Smith rather than a conventional review, and it mentions the film’s use of sentimental background music and on-camera interviews, including one with “Larry G.”
From This Briefing
This story was covered in Auction Fever, Museum Fallout, and Artworld Threats