On The New Yorker's approach to Islamic art

Peter Schjeldahl wanders blind through the Met's new Islamic wing | Sean Rocha

Sean Rocha makes a good point about this amateurish review of the Metropolitan Museum's new Islamic wing in the New Yorker:

Would Schjeldahl ever approach a contemporary art exhibit this way?

I mean, would the New Yorker send someone who knows nothing about, say, modern art to review a Picasso or Schiele collection? Schjeldahl finishes his piece by saying Islamic art made him acutely aware of his own European heritage. Wouldn't insights on the new wing based on its own merits make for a more interesting review?

Comments

[David]

This is sort of the art world's version of "doing a Herman Cain" -- offering an opinion without bothering to do your homework on the subject.

[Curly]

The Met has in the past displayed art that was very derogatory toward Christianity. Now I would like to see the Met display art depicting Islam in the same light as it has Christianity. But that will never happen because the Met and the artist most likely would find themselves dead! And the Met knows it.