Likeness indicates essence. Art is an extreme universe populated by rare achievements of genius nearly smothered by bland, mundane, “me-too” frauds. You cannot be a generous critic; you must be a relentless thinker. But criticism begins with the self, not the artist. You cannot critique the artist until you have launched a full assault on your own self-deception. What I fail to see in myself blinds my appraisal of another’s work.
