The Critic as an Artist?

Oscar Wilde presents a very intriguing argument in "The Critic as Artist." The main points of his argument revolve around his theory that, "To the critic the work of art is simply a suggestion for a new work of his own, that need not necessarily bear an obvious resemblance to the thing he criticizes." He argues that the way in which the critic uses other materials, other creations of art, to create his own art is no different than painters, writers or musicians in that they also draw on other inspirations. He uses Shakespeare and his use of mythology as an example of this. He asserts that an actor himself is a critic of the the play he acts in and a musician is a critic of the music he plays. Within each criticism, therefore, is art.

Further, he argues that it is from the critic that art receives its meaning and beauty. He contends that most of the meaning and beauty behind art is not from the original creator's intentions, but from the personal emotions and ideas others draw from it. It is through this art is given its eternal life and ability to evolve with the times. Great works of art will always have a meaning to someone no matter what era it is viewed.

Wilde uses a structure in which two people, Gilbert and Ernest, talk about the role of critics and their criticisms. Gilbert explains his theory to Ernest as Ernest plays somewhat of a devil's advocate. I think that this structure works well for Wilde's argument in that he is able to convey his own arguments and beliefs while also using them to combat, what he anticipates to be, opposing arguments of his theory.

Wilde's argument for the critic as an artist was very convincing and one I had never quite thought of before. I would agree that the critic who interprets art by "intensifying his own personality" in the works of others should indeed be considered both an artist and a driving force of art. If a critic truly gives a work his own meaning through his own inner thoughts and feelings, then he is doing the exact same thing as someone like Bob Dylan does when he writes songs like "The Hurricane." Just as Dylan used his own inner feelings toward an external person and event, an African American boxer unjustly convicted of murder, to create his art, so does the critic use his own inner feelings toward an external work to to create his.