The critics
Jean-Luc Prétentieux
Considered the belligerent young Turk of British art critics, Prétentieux holds the most prestigious post in the capital, as art critic at Wizz magazine. Penning irreverent exhibition reviews for the half-million brainless, beer-swilling, coke-snorting, babe-obsessed readers of Wizz has paradoxically made Dick the most influential critic de nos jours.
Prétentieux became interested in art as a teenager when he took a job as part-time beard-trimmer to the famous connoisseur Bernard Berenson. His time at I Tatti, Berenson's Italian retreat during the 1950s, gave him an in-depth knowledge of the illicit trade in antiquities. However, during a short spell in an Italian prison, he discovered a talent for corruscating put-downs of contemporary art and began writing for various women's magazines.
Gallerists, curators and exhibition organisers are all aware of the importance of bums on seats and feet through the turnstiles, and the mere presence at the opening night of 'The Septum', as he is known, is said to have an immeasurable effect on the future success of any exhibition while invariably doing wonders for the Bolivian economy.
Jean-Luc's blunt facility with the language of art criticism ('immense', 'wicked', 'pants', are typical of the Septum rhetoric) has brought him untold wealth and celebrity status. When not chained to his Apple Mac in his sprawling Clerkenwell loft he can be found on his yacht in Cannes in the company of personal friends Leonardo di Caprio, Euan Mee, Wayne Rooney and Amy Winebar. He was for a while romantically linked with both fellow Artnose critic Gloria Summers-Day and world famous contemporary artist Pixel Popadopolous.
The Critics - Quick Links
Jean-Luc
Prétentieux
Put our
mini-ad
on your website
home l archive l artists l critics l small ads l dating l links l letters l about