Artpress Editor Catherine Millet on the Value of Long-Form Criticism

In an editorial for the June 2013 issue of artpress, editor-in-chief Catherine Millet reflects on the declining length of critical texts in the magazine since its founding in 1972, attributing it to denser news cycles, rising paper costs, and the internet's culture of rapid consumption. However, she announces that the June issue will include two unusually long articles: a translation of Mike Kelley's 'Foul Perfection' (provided by John Welchman, who oversees the publication of Kelley's writings) and a text by Carter Ratcliff drawing parallels between Simon Hantaï and major American artists. To accommodate these, artpress is publishing a second supplement alongside its traditional Venice Biennale guide. The Hantaï article was commissioned from Guitemie Maldonado, but Ratcliff's piece arrived independently. The project received immediate support from galleries representing Hantaï's work and the painter's family, aiming to elevate Hantaï's international standing. The same small editorial team produced nearly double the usual page count. The English original of Kelley's text is available on artpress's website.