Reviews of the critic

TJ McNamara

HAMISH KEITH
Arts writer/critic

Terry has had a remarkable consistency. He is one of the few writers who pitches his work to the newspaper reader - he doesn't confuse or baffle or obscure. For a newspaper reviewer, that is essential.

He gets around a remarkable number of galleries. To get through as much as Terry does is a remarkable physical feat.The thing about newspaper reviewers is that they are not academic art critics writing profound essays on culture. Terry gives people gentle reasons to engage with the show and I think that's admirable.

TERRY STRINGER
Sculptor and former TJ pupil, Auckland Boys' Grammar

TJ is very open and aware of what is going on. His contribution is a fair reporting on what's happening. In a newspaper, it is more important to bring everything to people's attention and to give them a starting point, a reference.

TJ has a certain aura of independence, he doesn't appear to draw on any particular clique. He listens, he is interested in other people's opinions but he has an independent feel.

GILBERT WONG
Metro magazine arts editor and former Herald arts editor

There are very few cities that have someone who has been witness to all that sweep of art for such a long period. He is diligent and I think he had a sense he was doing a chronicle of history, for the future.

There have been endless intellectual fads to do with art - he knows about them but he is an Everyman critic as far as I'm concerned. He's not an academic critic and that's what the newspaper is about. We've all read that dense intellectual stuff written about art and it's not good to publish - it's at a different part of art criticism. What you want is clear prose.

I used to love it in the newsroom when he'd sweep through in his cape. He was so cool.

CHRIS SAINES
Director, Auckland Art Gallery

We've got a unique ephemera collection in our library which traces the story of New Zealand art as told by reviews, catalogues and invitations. If you drill back through them for the past 40 years, it doesn't matter where you look in those files, TJ is in the foreground.

The important thing a regular columnist needs to do is put his views forward in a way that is going to engage and stimulate the knowledgeable reader but also stimulate others to participate in the activity of the broader art community, to get out of their chairs and into the galleries. To that extent TJ has done a very good job.

He has a sound art historical knowledge, he understands and often celebrates art history in his columns. TJ has been a consistent voice, a positive voice ...