Art Is Life: Jerry Saltz Interview
WDCB’s Gary Zidek catches up with renowned art critic Jerry Saltz to talk about his new book, ART IS LIFE.
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“If I a mediocre person like me, can be an art critic, who wins the Pulitzer Prize, surely you can make mediocre work at least all day today, and fake enough people out, where you get kind of a career. If I can do it, you can do it!” - Art Critics Jerry Saltz doing his best to inspire aspiring artists while talking about his new book, ART IS LIFE.
Art critic & author Jerry Saltz
There’s no shortage of descriptors to use when talking about art critic Jerry Saltz. He often refers to himself as a failed artist, not an unusual former occupation for an art critic. Saltz was also a cross-country truck driver for a period, that’s not as common in the contemporary art world. The descriptor that’s most often used to introduce Saltz is Pulitzer Prize winner, he received the award in 2018 for criticism. As the senior art critic for New York Magazine, Saltz is among the most well-known art critics in the country. He’s also a best-selling author, his 2020 book HOW TO BE AN ARTIST came out right as the pandemic started. His new book, ART IS LIFE, is a collection of his past essays and reviews organized chronologically offering reminders of the seismic shifts that have taken place over the past 20 years.
Jerry Saltz in his early 20s when I was still based in Chicago.
