Rather, they have lost any serious claim to a clear, consistent, independent meaning that precedes the terms of the art. Philosophers have dissolved baselines in many fields of thought. They have shown that any sufficiently rich system of logical rules contains paradoxes. Art resolves paradoxes, temporarily, but only by recasting the world in its own image. Conceptual art makes paradox its very subject matter.
Artists know anyway that their work is too complex for rules.
With pride and regret, they see how little they resemble the creators they most admire. They handle the paradoxes every day, by attention to their art. A critic can handle them by keeping the conversation going or starting an argument. If I have nothing to say, or if I can simply speak for the art, I shall soon turn away. I give the reader half a chance Critics try too hard to avoid complexity, but they depend on it for a living.