
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 7, 1990                   TAG: 9003071876
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

OPINIONS OF CULTURE SWAY ARTISTIC VIEWS

MR. FISHBURN'S response (Feb. 16) to Dr. Nolan's review (Feb. 11) of the exhibit "The West Explored" was curious indeed. Fishburn seems to assume that one can judge and appreciate works of art solely on their artistic merits. Moreover, that aesthetic judgment will be free of any implicit value judgments concerning the social and cultural environment that gave rise to the work.

Unfortunately, this is simply not the case. Aesthetic judgments are always informed by often unstated and unacknowledged assumptions about the social order and our place in it. What Nolan's review did was to point out and seriously question some of the mythology of the "Old West" that forms such a large part of cultural heritage.

Fishburn asks, "What does this have to do with the objects that are hanging in the museum?" To this I would answer, everything. The function of art criticism is not just to bestow praise or censure. Rather, its more important function is to enable people to more fully understand and appreciate the work in a question.

In this sense, Nolan's review succeeded admirably. My appreciation and understanding of the show will be on a much deeper and more profound level after reading her piece.

DRUCILLA K. BARKER\ ROANOKE

by CNB