Rusty Solomon Wonders Why Everyone Is Afraid to Blog About Art History?

 

Rusty Solomon believes the internet is a place where everyone has a voice and every subject has a following. A simple search can direct you to blogs that cover a wide range of obscure and esoteric topics. However, even today there is a dearth of blogs that focus on the subject of art history, in part due to the lack of qualified art historians willing to engage in the practice.

Rusty Solomon, who runs this insightful art history blog, offered the following reasons for the paucity of bloggers covering the subject. For one, he asserts the problem is partly mathematical. Given that there are generally fewer art historians as there are professors in other fields such as sociology and law, it stands to reason that the number of blogs would be as rare and invisible as a diamond buried under a desert dune.

Rusty Solomon affirms the field of art history is one that is steeped in tradition and status, taught in the dusty cathedrals of old libraries and universities. Consequently, art history professors hold a prejudice against speaking in the public realm. Rusty Solomon indicates that while other erudite schools such as philosophy and literature welcome the engagement with public intellectuals, art historians often have little experience with open discussion. In fact, any communication in the art history community is typically associated with diplomatic endeavors or even espionage rather than engaging in a public dialogue.

Another point put forth by Rusty Solomon is the growing number of art historians who work in museums as opposed to academia. It is an environment where one is limited by the nature of their profession, as those who work in museums represent the institutions that employ them. Often times, these art historians will eschew individual blogs and opt to contribute to the museum’s official blog or webpage, each article carefully edited and scrutinized to ensure it properly embodies the message of the institution. In other cases, the website is completely demarcated from the educational staff and run by those in charge of marketing and attracting patrons.

Rusty Solomon affirmatively avers the study of art history is not a subject that translates well to the blogosphere. If one were to discover a new interpretation of an old inscription on a Rubens copy of a Holbein, the historian has more incentive to add the insight to a paper or research note than post the findings in a blog. Posting the information freely could set a precedent that results in difficulties with colleagues or an adviser.

Although technology has infiltrated every aspect of our lives, there are still those whose attitudes toward the internet are dismissive and borderline myopic. Rusty Solomon sees that blogging as a teaching tool has been called everything from ineffective to blasphemous, especially from older professors who are unaccustomed to the changing dynamics of education. While face to face interaction is important, the sanctimony that often accompanies traditional teaching methods is often overstated, particularly given the benefits of having a global audience.

 

This Rusty Solomon blog will be one of the rare exceptions that addresses both on art news and scholarly inquiries. Nevertheless, the focus of the Rusty Solomon Art History Blog is on the former rather than the latter. While art news is important, rarely do art historians feel comfortable commenting on the subject. For art history bloggers such as Rusty Solomon, the reality is bittersweet. Although the lack of competition provides personal gain, the isolated community makes it challenging to promote both discussion and lure new students.

 

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Rusty Solomon Blog on Art History