Jargon-Free Art Writing Gains Audience as Institutions Cling to Obscurity
A critique of art-world jargon, International Art English, coined in 2012 by writers Alix Rule and David Levine, describes a dialect of vague, pseudo-intellectual language used in gallery press releases. This language functions as an exclusionary membership badge, deterring diverse audiences. Meanwhile, online platforms attract younger viewers by telling stories in plain speech, as seen with Caravaggio and Monet. The author, who runs the newsletter Cool Stories About Art, argues that audiences crave substance without fog—rivalries, scandals, technical daring, real history—delivered conversationally. Clarity is harder than obscurity, and institutions must relearn how to speak or lose their audience.
Key facts
- International Art English was identified by Alix Rule and David Levine in 2012.
- The language is characterized by vague terms like 'spatial and temporal' and 'problematizes'.
- It serves as a membership badge rather than a description.
- Online audiences engage deeply with art stories told in ordinary speech.
- Examples include threads about Caravaggio's murder and Monet's failing sight.
- The newsletter Cool Stories About Art focuses on jargon-free art writing.
- Clarity requires understanding the work well enough to explain it.
- Institutions risk losing audiences if they do not change their communication.
Entities
Artists
- Caravaggio
- Claude Monet
Institutions
- Cool Stories About Art