For faster navigation, this Iframe is preloading the Wikiwand page for Charlie Finch.

Charlie Finch

Charlie Finch
BornCharles Baker Finch Jr.
(1953-04-22)April 22, 1953
New York City, U.S.
DiedAugust 24, 2022(2022-08-24) (aged 69)
New York City, U.S.
OccupationArt critic
EducationYale University (BA)
Period1992–2012
Spouse
  • Mary Truitt
    (div. 1981)
  • Marion Callis
    (divorced)
ChildrenCharles

Charles Baker Finch Jr. (April 22, 1953 – August 24, 2022) was an American art critic who wrote for Artnet and Coagula.

Early life

[edit]

Finch was born in Manhattan on April 22, 1953.[1] His father was a business executive and his mother was a buyer and homemaker.[1] He attended Phillips Academy, received a bachelor's degree in political science from Yale University in 1974, and enrolled at Union Theological Seminary, but did not graduate.[2]

Career

[edit]

In the 1980s, Finch hosted a radio program called Artbreaking on WBAI and was a one-time culture columnist for the Paris Review online.[3] He also operated a short lived art gallery and in the East Village which he named Real Art.[4]

In 1992, Finch began writing for Coagula Art Journal, and he became known for his often vitriolic and controversial reviews.[5] He then wrote for Artnet from 1996 to 2012.[6] While his defenders praised him as passionate, his writing was also criticized as overly gossipy or cruel.[1]

Personal life and death

[edit]

Finch was married twice, first to Mary Truitt, the daughter of sculptor Anne Truitt, and then to Marion Callis; both marriages ended in divorce, with his first marriage dissolving in 1981.[1] With Truitt, he had a son, novelist Charles Finch.[1][7]

On August 24, 2022, Finch, according to his son, either jumped or fell to his death from the window of his East Village apartment in Manhattan.[8][4] He had been ill with cancer for about a decade, and a neighbor speculated that he may have been also distressed about his finances, as he lived in his apartment under rent control, and the building had recently been sold.[1][4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f Genzlinger, Neil (September 3, 2022). "Charlie Finch, Caustic Chronicler of New York's Art Scene, Dies at 69". The New York Times. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  2. ^ "Charlie Finch, art columnist who polarized New York, dies at 68". ARTnews.com. August 25, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  3. ^ "Charlie Finch". September 3, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "Charlie Finch (1954–2022)". Artforum. August 29, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  5. ^ "Charlie Finch: The Insult Comic of the Art World". The New Criterion.
  6. ^ Robinson, Walter (August 26, 2022). "Walter Robinson Remembers Charlie Finch, the Iconoclastic Critic and 'Lifeblood' of Artnet Magazine for 15 Years". Artnet. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  7. ^ Finch, Charlie. "Mother-In-Law". Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  8. ^ Genzlinger, Neil (September 3, 2022). "Charlie Finch, Caustic Chronicler of New York's Art Scene, Dies at 69". The New York Times.
[edit]
{{bottomLinkPreText}} {{bottomLinkText}}
Charlie Finch
Listen to this article

This browser is not supported by Wikiwand :(
Wikiwand requires a browser with modern capabilities in order to provide you with the best reading experience.
Please download and use one of the following browsers:

This article was just edited, click to reload
This article has been deleted on Wikipedia (Why?)

Back to homepage

Please click Add in the dialog above
Please click Allow in the top-left corner,
then click Install Now in the dialog
Please click Open in the download dialog,
then click Install
Please click the "Downloads" icon in the Safari toolbar, open the first download in the list,
then click Install
{{::$root.activation.text}}

Install Wikiwand

Install on Chrome Install on Firefox
Don't forget to rate us

Tell your friends about Wikiwand!

Gmail Facebook Twitter Link

Enjoying Wikiwand?

Tell your friends and spread the love:
Share on Gmail Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Buffer

Our magic isn't perfect

You can help our automatic cover photo selection by reporting an unsuitable photo.

This photo is visually disturbing This photo is not a good choice

Thank you for helping!


Your input will affect cover photo selection, along with input from other users.

X

Get ready for Wikiwand 2.0 ๐ŸŽ‰! the new version arrives on September 1st! Don't want to wait?