Jerry Saltz's 2009 collection 'Seeing Out Louder' reviewed by David Carrier

David Carrier reviews Jerry Saltz's 2009 book 'Seeing Out Louder: Art Criticism 2003-2009', a sequel to his 2003 collection. The review contrasts Saltz's accessible, experience-driven criticism with the academic discourse championed by Rosalind Krauss and October magazine. Saltz's writing covers art world sociology, gallery and museum reviews, and includes an interview by Irving Sandler. He makes sharp judgments about artists like Cindy Sherman, Richard Serra, and John Currin, calling Sherman's academic praise 'annoying and blinkered' and Serra's work an 'apotheosis of public art'. Saltz visits thirty to forty shows weekly and the Metropolitan Museum forty times yearly, maintaining enthusiasm despite burnout risks. The book, published by Hard Press Editions and Hudson Hills Press, costs $40. Carrier notes Saltz's avoidance of pretentiousness and ideology, his focus on contemporary art, and his ability to summarize complex subjects in tight sentences. The review highlights Saltz's independence from academic influences despite early inspiration from Artforum.