From the book, " Why Art Cannot Be Taught" I had the opportunity to read thru the chapter on critiques. I want to share with you some of the ideas on why critiques are hard to understand:
1) No one knows what a critique is.
2) Critiques are too short.
3) Critiques drift from topic to topic.
4) Teachers make their own artwork and have their own agenda.
5) Teachers make idiosyncratic judgements.
6) Critiques are like seductions:full of emotional outbursts.
7) Critiques are like many other things-including bad translations...
8) Teachers waste time giving technical advice.
9) Some teachers are judicative others are descriptive.
10) A Students presence can be confusing...An artwork implies a creator...Fallacy? A viewer needs to have an idea of the artist's intention...WHAT DO YOU THINK?
11) Artworks are usually unoriginal.
As for my critique, I set myself up for doom...when I called my own art "kitchy".
Using this word thru the discussion prevented my critique from progressing..it stopped in it's tracks! Now it's my burden to convince all of you that my work is viable and has a place in the hall of fame....
Note to the Artist: Keep enough interest going so you can figure out why the critique ended(if it had) and the teacher isn't talking...must read this entire book!!
Here are some photos from our last critique to jolt your memory.
Do you think the last critique helped you or not?
Do you think the last critique helped you or not?
Yes, I think it is a great idea to assess our critiques and figure out if the style is working or if we could take a different approach.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this list.
Liz
I think the real value lies in the objectivity. The culmination of hours of progress on a new painting makes it impossible for me to see with any kind of objectivity.
ReplyDeleteWhether you agree with the critique is pretty much irrelevant. What is valuable is how well your painting has communicated or elicited a reaction from the viewers.
Yes. I feel like I need a critique everyday! I agree with you Rob, that it is sometimes difficult to step back and see if what you are doing is working. Critiques are also very helpful when one is not sure the reason they are making what they are making. It helps to get other perspective. To hear your peers describe your own work and discuss what it does for them or make them think is very very helpful!!
ReplyDeletep.s. these pictures are great! I can't wait to see the new ones
ReplyDeleteI think that this list is interesting and makes some really valid points. at the same time, i think without critiques or having a dialog about your artwork it would be hard to have a helpful class. sometimes you need to have others takes in addition to your own to make a successful peice, or figure out a new direction, improve.. often things other people have told me they noticed about my paintings that i had not during a critique really helped me.
ReplyDeleteBtw, i dont know how i managed this, but my last comment is under my boyfriends google name... yeah, computers. this is Brittany :)
ReplyDeleteDiane,
ReplyDeleteThank you.. the pictures look great!!