Raving

I went to see an exhibition today. Rather, to review it.
There's a difference when one goes to 'see' a display, and to see it to 'review' it. The last time I remember going to an exhibition purely for the purpose of soaking in visual pleasures was last year, sometime in March, jobless as I was, me and Dungri loitered into the Academy. There was no pressure of deadlines, no responsibility of gathering prints. Come to think of it, no sour-faced artist to encounter later.
Some of the artists I know and consider friends are more dynamic people, not afraid to bond. True, criticism has to be unbiased, where such relations should never hinder judgement. As far as art is concerned, though, it's always the work as a separate entity from the artist that seems to work for me. The writing, in turn, becomes a reflection of my honest feelings about that work, a personal reaction.
They say the trick is to find the balance between these two. I'm still trying.