Criticizing a Critic?

Devon Rodriguez is a TikTok sensation. The artist rose to fame on social media for his videos that show him making realistic sketches of people riding the New York City subway. Rodriguez then reveals the portraits to his subjects on camera and records their emotional reactions. These videos gained Rodriguez tens of millions of followers. Recently, the artist took offense to a review of an exhibit of his work. His response prompted loyal fans to unleash a storm of online hatred toward the critic.

Last fall, art critic Ben Davis published a review of Rodriguez’s work. In the article, Davis described Rodriguez as a talented artist. But he also stated that Rodriguez’s success seemed more a product of his online popularity than his artistic ability. Davis noted that the performative aspect of publicly drawing commuters helped Rodriguez become famous. His viral videos earned him sponsored content and appearances with celebrities like Ed Sheeran. Davis noted that most people who study art by going to museums and reading art publications haven’t heard of Rodriguez.

Unhappy with Davis’s review, Rodriguez expressed his annoyance on Instagram. He tagged Davis in the posts. Then hundreds of Rodriguez’s followers directed angry comments, many of which were rude or threatening, at Davis.

Davis believes many of the people who attacked him online acted solely based on Rodriguez’s response and hadn’t read his article. The critic points out that he hadn’t dismissed Rodriguez or his work. He even stated that the art world should pay more attention to artists who find fame on the internet. Davis thinks the backlash only confirmed that Rodriguez’s followers are more captivated by him as an online personality than as an artist.