"That Critical Review that Was the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me": True Story from Kerry James Marshall

Recently, I've been doing some research on Kerry James Marshall related to his first-ever Canadian solo show, which is co-curated by Jeff Wall and opens at the Vancouver Art Gallery this week. In the course of my research, I came across the video above, which documents a talk Marshall gave at Otis Art Institute in 2008.

My reason for posting this video is that Marshall makes a point I have never heard someone utter before—namely that receiving a slightly critical review was the best thing that ever happened to him. (The review, as he explains, was by the LA Times' now-retired arts reporter Suzanne Muchnic; as a point of interest, in 1981, another artist responded much less graciously to Muchnic's criticism by dumping 10 tons of horse manure in front of the Times' main entrance.)

I don't expect all critical reviews to have as much positive impact as this--far from it. And I don't presume to replicate Muchnic's sensitivity in my own work. Nonetheless, it's nice to know these positive impacts of journalistic criticism can happen, and be acknowledged. The relevant story runs from around 1:09 to 3:30.