“Nothing was rejected.”

I was recently rejected from a small works show at Middle Tennessee State University, juried by art critic Dave Hickey. I was supposed to hear from them in November, but as my rejection letter states, Mr. Hickey was “delayed in completing the jurying because of other, unexpected and professional obligations.”

Mr. Hickey was kind enough to send a short note with his rejections. It was substantial enough that I thought I’d share it with you:

“To select this exhibition I looked at every work submitted at least three times. My preference as a critic is for art that is quick, confident, accomplished, and clear in its intentions. My preference as a viewer is for objects over abstractions, abstractions over images, and images over narratives. I prefer color to the lack thereof and joy over pain, which I am always hesitant to empower. This is just my taste, and I have been quick to override it for work I recognize as worthy. I am also forgiving of visual influence from other art and artists since this is preferable to visual ignorance. The works submitted for this exhibition seem positively representative of art practice in the American heartland at this moment. The works I have selected were positively selected. Nothing was rejected. My critical taste, my personal taste and my sense of the exhibition as a thing-in-itself all played a part in this selection of objects I thought you might like to see hanging together. I hope you enjoy it.”