Edward Tufte, known for his work as an info-aesthetician, has a show up right now at ET Modern (his own gallery) that goes through a large diverse collection of his artwork, including this graphic appropriation by Ad Reinhardt explaining Modern Art.
“Here’s a guide to the galleries-the art world in a nutshell-a tree of contemporary art from pure (abstract) “paintings” (on your left) to pure (illustrative) “pictures” (down on your right). If you know what you like but don’t know anything about art, you’ll find the artists on the left hardest to understand, and the names on the right easiest and most familiar (famous). You can start in the cornfields, where no demand is made on you and work your way up and around. Be especially careful of those curious schools situated on that overloaded section of the tree, which somehow think of themselves as being both abstract and pictorial (as if there could be both today). The best way to escape from all of this is to paint yourself. If you have any friends that we overlooked, here are some extra leaves. Fill in and paste up……”
