Jonathan Jones (journalist)

Jonathan Jones is a British art critic who has written for The Guardian since 1999. He has appeared in the BBC television series Private Life of a Masterpiece and in 2009[1] was a judge for the Turner Prize. He has also been a judge for the BP Portrait Award.

Early life

Jones was brought up in North Wales. Both his parents were school teachers and the family visited Italy in the summer holidays which kindled his interest in art. He studied history at the University of Cambridge and, at one time, wanted to be a professional historian. Jones developed an interest in modern art while living in the United States, where his wife was an academic at Brown University. On his return to the United Kingdom he wrote freelance for magazines and art features for The Guardian.[2]

Journalism

On Mark Leckey

Jones had a public feud with artist Mark Leckey, who won the Turner Prize in 2008. By 2011, Whitehot Magazine referred to "the ongoing 3 year battle" between the two.[3] Later that year, Jones gave a highly negative review to Leckey's exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery, describing it as being "full of lumbering inanities".[4] The review provoked strong responses in art circles and many comments on The Guardian's webpage, including replies from Jones. forcing Jones on to the defensive in the reader comments section time and time again. Jones held to his position that the exhibition was just bad, and his review simply an honest reaction, replying to one reader that he had used "invective because - let's face it - if you really do feel dislike, you may as well exploit the entertainment value of that rage. In other words - bad reviews can be bloody good fun to read", adding "So here is where I am really coming from... I believe ninety-five percent of the British contemporary art that is endlessly promoted by galleries, museums and the media is worthless" and, probably tongue-in-cheek, "Artblogging, it's the new rock n roll".[5] Writing in frieze.com, Isobel Harbison called the review part of a "trend in broadsheet art criticism of opinion-mongering and reader-goading."[6]

On photography

Jones has expressed varying opinions on photography. In January 2013 he wrote that "Photography is the serious art of our time" and the only art that devotes the same "attention to the stuff that matters" as great artists of the past.[7] In December 2014, however, prompted by the high price paid for a print by the photographer Peter Lik, Jones started a column by declaring that "Photography is not an art", and went on to say that, "this hollow and overblown creation exposes the illusion that lures us all, when we’re having a good day with a good camera – the fantasy that taking a picture is the same thing as making a work of art."[8]

On Wikipedia

In February 2014, in discussing a Wikipedia project to increase articles on women in the arts, Jones wrote that Wikipedia "is a corrupting force" that is "eroding the world's intellect" through a relativist approach to knowledge.[9]

On Terry Pratchett

In August 2015, shortly after the death of Terry Pratchett, Jones wrote an article titled "Get real. Terry Pratchett is not a literary genius", criticizing Pratchett's books as "ordinary potboilers" not worth the time to read.[10] The piece attracted criticism including a response by Sam Jordison on The Guardian's book blog, which defended Pratchett's work and criticized Jones for commenting on books despite admitting that he had not read them.[11] Jones wrote a follow-up piece after reading Small Gods, in which he referred to his initial column as his "most shameful moment as a critic". He praised some of the book's wit and entertainment value, but still found that its prose and characters fell short of what he considered literary fiction.[12]

Publications

References

  1. ↑ Turner Prize: whale skull and pile of dust among artworks on display, The Telegraph, by 5 October 2009. Retrieved 24 February 2014. Archived here.
  2. ↑ Interview: Jonathan Jones on Guardian Art & The Loves of the Artists by Noah Charney, blouinartinfo, 23 May 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2014. Archived here.
  3. ↑ May 2011, Mark Leckey @ Serpentine Gallery by Sophie Risner, Whitehot Magazine of Contemporary Art, 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2014. Archived here.
  4. ↑ Mark Leckey's art creates noise without meaning by Jonathan Jones in theguardian.com, 23 May 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2014. Archived here.
  5. ↑ Mark Leckey's art creates noise without meaning by Jonathan Jones in theguardian.com, 23 May 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2014. Archived here.
  6. ↑ Jonathan Jones on Mark Leckey by Isobel Harbison, frieze.com, 27 May 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2016. Archived here.
  7. ↑ Jonathan Jones, "Photography is the art of our time", The Guardian, 10 January 2013.
  8. ↑ Jonathan Jones, "The m canyon: it's the most expensive photograph ever – but it's like a hackneyed poster in a posh hotel", The Guardian, 10 December 2014.
  9. ↑ Is Wikipedia the best place to promote women in art? by Jonathan Jones in theguardian.com, 20 February 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014. Archived here.
  10. ↑ "Get real. Terry Pratchett is not a literary genius".
  11. ↑ Jordison, Sam (31 August 2015). "Terry Pratchett's books are the opposite of 'ordinary potboilers'". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  12. ↑ Jones, Jonathan (11 September 2015). "I've read Pratchett now: it's more entertainment than art". the Guardian. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
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