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Defending Complexity: Art, Politics and the New World Order

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"Defending Complexity" is a compilation of thirty-four short pieces written between 1995-2005 by art critic Eleanor Heartney. These are mainly exhibition reviews published in the magazine "Art in America", with venues such as the "New York Times" and "Washington Post" also represented. About half the essays are, unfortunately, somewhat inert as reprints, being mere chronicles of a particular exhibition rather than really delving into any issue surrounding the art. The other half are more articulate. The best of these involve stimulating commentary on the art and its issues, including several discussions of art as highlighting views toward religion, the disturbing double standard of morality and morbidity accused of artists attempting to deal thoughtfully with death versus the glorification of death as a spectacle in the mass media, museum politics and the trend toward theme-park-like sensationalism, how the available imagery shapes our impressions of war, and much more. The book is not as 'governmentally' political as its cover and titling makes it seem, although it does make references to current world events in several of the essays, and Heartney purports to see a definite difference between her pre-911 and post-911 essays that isn't quite apparent on reading them. But overall, what's good in here is worth reading, vigorous and stimulating and ready to inspire some lively art conversations.