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Behind every great art work there is, true, a great artist but also the story of what inspired that artist. On Jan. 30, The New York Times's Chief Art Critic Michael Kimmelman peels back the layers to reveal the fascinating backstories and cultures that have been the cradles of masterpieces, when he gives his lecture at The Quick Center, "How Culture Explains (Almost) Everything." Kimmelman has written extensively about the international cultural scene from his post in Berlin where he's been reporting for the Times since 2007. From there, he has covered stories across Europe and beyond, including about the role of the arts in Monaco's economy, the politics of Milan's La Scala and the uncertain climate for artists in Syria. He also contributes to The New York Review of Books and other publications, and has written two books, "Portraits" in 1998, his interviews with artists, and "The Accidental Masterpiece" in 2006, which suggests an artist's life is also art. As to art's importance, Calfornia College of the Arts quotes what Kimmelman has written on the subject, "Good art is generous. Its about opening our eyes, about encouraging people to look more closely at whats around them.
A pianist, Kimmelman began his writing career as a music critic for The Times and then switched to art. He told The Kenyon Review, that the change was unplanned. "I fell into this job by chance," he said, "and I certainly didnt set out to be an art critic. I had been interested in art, and Id been studying art history in graduate school, but I wasnt particularly interested in becoming a newspaper art critic, for various reasonspartly to do with my academic training and partly because I hadnt done any journalism, visual art journalism, before I came to the Times." Hear Kimmelman speak at the Quick Center on Jan. 30 for a fresh, unfussy view of art and an understanding of where it belongs in our world. His talk begins at 3 p.m. Tickets are $45. For more information, visit the Quick Center's website.
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