Art Critic Reflects on Clement Greenberg, Michael Fried, and Modernist Debates in Personal Blog Series

The author, teaching a workshop next month, discusses Clement Greenberg's legacy while denying being a Greenbergian, noting the term is often used as a slur. Greenberg's 1971 book 'Homemade Esthetics' is highlighted as important by a friend. The author critiques Thierry de Duve's strident critique of Greenberg and mentions Henry Staten's defense of Greenberg's nuances. Frank Stella is noted as a friend of Michael Fried, not a Minimalist. The author references the Vancouver Modernism and Modernity conference where Greenberg reportedly used heroin before his talk, with T.J. Clark banging on the door. Michael Fried's essay 'Art and Objecthood' is analyzed, with the author having qualms about its use of 'theater' and judgment. Fried championed Color Field painting against Minimalism, which the author sees as historical cliques. Donald Judd's assertion that 'A work needs only to be interesting' is critiqued, with the author siding with Fried on Judd's limited interest and noting David Salle's review of Judd's MoMA retrospective. Tony Smith's experience on the New Jersey Turnpike is discussed as an example of theatricality. The author mentions reading T.J. Clark's 'Farewell to an Idea' and Fried's books 'Absorption and Theatricality' and 'Courbet's Realism'. Jeff Wall's interview with Jean-François Chevrier is noted, where Wall moved away from avant-garde notions. The author references Andrea Fraser on conceptualism and institutional critique, and Nietzsche's 'Human, All Too Human' on progress. The Yares summer group show is mentioned as worth seeing. The author plans to move out of a moldy apartment soon. Links to PDFs by Henry Staten and Clement Greenberg are provided, along with a YouTube interview with Jeff Wall. The blog is part of a series including notes on books and spirits, with an apology for unproductivity in another entry.