Peter Plagens on the Off-Brand Appeal of James Brooks, Sidney Nolan, and Ralph Meeker

In a personal essay republished by Two Coats of Paint on the occasion of his retirement as art critic for the Wall Street Journal, Peter Plagens reflects on his lifelong attraction to undervalued artists and works, drawing a parallel to his father's preference for B-list movie actors like Ralph Meeker. Plagens, a practicing painter and critic, argues for the rewards of looking carefully at overlooked figures such as Abstract Expressionist James Brooks (e.g., "Number 44," 1951) and Australian painter Sidney Nolan, over more celebrated names like Willem de Kooning or Lucien Freud. He traces this inclination to his father, who favored off-brand sodas, local beer, and lesser-known authors like Richard Hughes and A. E. van Vogt. Plagens questions whether this affinity is inherited or learned, and suggests that it shapes his own career as a critic rather than an artist. The essay originally appeared in Art News in 2010 and is introduced by Sharon Butler.