Jerry Saltz email (ps. i didn't write him but he did wander into my studio like a week ago)

Thank you for your email. I had a ball at VCU.

I'm not really sure what your email is saying (it is very very unclear). However, I think I may disagree with what you may be saying. Eighty-five percent of all the art I see in galleries isn't that good. About 15 % of the work I see is okay. The percent of bad-to-good work is fairly consistent; it was the same in the Renassiance as it is today. It's the same in schools and even in museums. It may be a constant of nature. So, if what you're saying is that a lot of bad work gets shown, I agree. However, what you think is bad work is DIFFERENT than what I think is bad work. Also, I think what you (may be) saying sounds cynical; no one wakes up and does things for untrue reasons; everyone thinks that they are sincere. You think you are sincere; the people who you think are trying to simply put one over on the system think they are sincere too.

I think you have to just look very hard at YOUR OWN work; NOT all around you. People are better than you think. Push your work very very very hard; push it further; be very very brave and you will be fine.

Thank you for writing; VCU was very impressive.

Jerry Saltz

Senior Art Critic Village Voice