I remember interviewing for a nonprofit job and the interviewer (some sort of deputy boss) was wearing exactly that type of jacket. Didn't get the job, possibly because the jacket provoked some latent hostility and envy that she could do something so publicly good but also afford generically "ethnic" expensive clothing. A presumably good soul would be happy to do be employed doing good works while wearing thrift or H&M, but my soul isn't good enough at all...
"... theater, like just about every other artform, doesn’t trust its own audience anymore and so wants to be extremely clear in its intentions and designs" - I would add also (especially?) in the "re-imagining" of the presentation of older works - such that I've just lost interest in following what is new at this museum or that theatre, because it isn't actually very new. I'd go see this, though.
The "Future Critic" New Yorker shirt for kids reminds me of a friend's story. This friend went to art school, and said there was a fellow student in the freshman art school dorms who clearly came from money in the grand tradition of art school students but that it was most apparent for this kid because they drove a brand new "graduation gift" Jetta with a personalized license plate that said "ARTIST" which their parents had clearly bought for them, and how completely cringe it was to watch this kid try to be taken seriously by their peers as they drove around in their brand new European car with the "ARTIST" license plate, as a freshman at art school. That's the kind of kid who is going to get the "FUTURE CRITIC" shirt.
I remember interviewing for a nonprofit job and the interviewer (some sort of deputy boss) was wearing exactly that type of jacket. Didn't get the job, possibly because the jacket provoked some latent hostility and envy that she could do something so publicly good but also afford generically "ethnic" expensive clothing. A presumably good soul would be happy to do be employed doing good works while wearing thrift or H&M, but my soul isn't good enough at all...
in my nonprofit career, I have been severely underpaid by many women who wore that jacket.
"... theater, like just about every other artform, doesn’t trust its own audience anymore and so wants to be extremely clear in its intentions and designs" - I would add also (especially?) in the "re-imagining" of the presentation of older works - such that I've just lost interest in following what is new at this museum or that theatre, because it isn't actually very new. I'd go see this, though.
Jessa someone should make an indie film based on this post. Have to read this NYT article but I remembered Wesley Morris wrote about whether art should be political back in 2018 https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/03/magazine/morality-social-justice-art-entertainment.html
The "Future Critic" New Yorker shirt for kids reminds me of a friend's story. This friend went to art school, and said there was a fellow student in the freshman art school dorms who clearly came from money in the grand tradition of art school students but that it was most apparent for this kid because they drove a brand new "graduation gift" Jetta with a personalized license plate that said "ARTIST" which their parents had clearly bought for them, and how completely cringe it was to watch this kid try to be taken seriously by their peers as they drove around in their brand new European car with the "ARTIST" license plate, as a freshman at art school. That's the kind of kid who is going to get the "FUTURE CRITIC" shirt.