The Critics and Art Criticism of the Silpa Wattanatham Column in Siamrath Weekly News Paper Magazine

บทคัดย่อ

Siamrath Weekly News magazine, known for its social and political commentary, hosts Thailand's oldest - more than 30 years running - column of art criticism, Silpa Wattanatham (‘art and culture’). This paper focuses mainly on the writings of 4 of the column's major contributors, i.e. Pishnu Supanimitr, Parinya Tantisuk, Manit Sriwanichpoom and Paisan Plienbangchang. Some background on the critics is given, along with brief overviews and surveys of their writings, including a few translated passages to illustrate the critics' different styles and interests. These critics tend to break into two camps, i.e. conservatives connected to the traditions of palace, religion and royal service (Pishnu and Parinya) and the more populist critics who see art in a rather proletarian context of urban and rural social change (Manit and Paisan).