As If Art Matters is a book of art reviews and essays on art. Some of the essays, such as "The Case Against Wall Fodder," are included on this site. Others, including "Down with Namby Pamby Art," "Abstract Art and Figurative Art" and the title essay, "As If Art Matters," were written especially for this book. Also included are selected reviews written for Art Access and the Volcano, including reviews of exhibitions by Vincent van Gogh, Bill Viola, Morris Graves and many more nationally and internationally known artists, and regional artists from the Pacific Northwest whose works are rarely reviewed anywhere else.
$12.00 trade paperback"This little book is great."
- Becky Hendrick, author of author of Getting It: a Guide to Understanding and Appreciating Art.“I believe that we should approach visual arts the same way we approach life. That is, seeking out new experiences, savoring the foreign, valuing the unfamiliar. Those are the things that teach us. Alec Clayton has opened my eyes to the art world. He writes intelligently about art without using overblown art jargon. I don’t need Fancy School’s art history degree to understand his writing. His words are luminescent, entertaining and refreshing. Buy this book, gain knowledge of the visual arts, then laugh at Fancy School’s tuition”
- Ron Swarner, editor, Volcano"Alec Clayton communicates about art in a thoughtful, personal manner providing context and commentary to artwork with a writing style that is accessible. His interpretation reveals a breadth of knowledge that he generously shares without pretension, illuminating the art, the artists, and exhibits with a point of view that reveals his interest and curiosity in an honest and clear voice."
- Amy McBride, Public Arts AdministratorAlec's articles are always informative, and it is not infrequent that his reviews prompt me to view the art he discusses. He is one of those rare writers on visual art who can accurately describe the works he chooses to discuss while at the same time providing an assessment of the quality of the artwork. His experience as an artist as well as a writer informs his articles with sensitive understanding to help the viewer perceive ways to focus her or his viewing of the art. His personal integrity and his generosity as a humanist are manifest in his reviews for the Volcano.
- Ron Hinson, artist
© 2004 by Alec Clayton