Julian Bell: Verbal BubbleWrap; or The Contradictions of Art Writing

What’s the use of art writing nowadays? Does it catalyze new creative developments? Or does it simply supply packaging for art market commodities? Is that, in fact, exactly what it should be supplying? Julian Bell, an English painter and art critic who contributes to "The New York Review of Books," considers the current profile of this branch of writing as seen from London. He prefaces his review with a practitioner’s memoir of learning the tricks of the trade.