Enemies List: Riley vs. Ouroussoff

MoMA design chief Terence Riley bites back after Nicolai Ouroussoff’s critique in the Times:

I have to tell you, I was surprised and even embarrassed by the torrent of response to your article. One quote represents the general attitude of the many people who contacted me: “I thought there was a personally vindictive tone to his comments about you.” While there was plenty in your article to provoke such a reaction, I was particularly offended by your gratuitous comparison of Philip [Johnson] and me at a moment when I am trying to cope with the fact of his all-too-recent death. That was the cheapest of shots and it will be a blemish on your reputation for some time to come…I hope you don’t mind if I share this with some of our nearest and dearest

Advantage: Ouroussoff. Riley’s taking it a bit too personally. (What if it’s really not about you? And regarding the comparison to Philip Johnson: if he had called you a fascist, we’d understand…but he didn’t.)

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