The Art Critic

by Peter Plagens

The Art Critic is a novel about Arthur, a talented, slightly jaded mid-career art critic for a national newsweekly. It is also a novel about Tom, a mid-career sculptor, often more focused on making it big than on making art. Between these two men is Helen, the smart, beautiful, moneyed publishing assistant they both desire. Written by Peter Plagens—himself a successful art critic and artist—The Art Critic is part roman à clef and part literary escapade. It is a shrewd and unabashed look into the unique lives of these art-obsessed characters; into the motivations and obligations behind both creating and critiquing art; and into the art world itself.“… the real fun of the book lies in its encyclopedic portrayal of the art scene as Arthur sees it in his weekly rounds. Plagens has it all spot on, from the basse-couture fashions worn by Chelsea gallery-goers to the gobbledegook of museum brochures, from the glitz of Manhattan openings and the grue of gallery intrigues to artists’ colonies in the Northeast Corridor and the attitudes of artists marooned in Arizona or San Diego.” —Piri Halasz, artcritical

283 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2012