Day seventeen: The value of critique.

I had a really good conversation last night about critique. The gist of it was this. As you form opinions, and begin to share those opinions, that's great. Those elements of art making are hard to do. I think it's easy to forget that once you've been in this world for awhile. Critique is practice for seeing what you are really doing, not what you're doing in your imagination. P.S. That first painting of a tiger you made doesn't really look like a tiger. It usually will look like a combination of a cartoon tiger and a man who ran too fast into a brick wall. That's ok. It should look like that at first. The thing is, it takes more practice not just making but seeing. Looking at other art helps with the seeing.

So, critique = good.

That being said, it is also important to critique humanely. I think it's really easy, once you reach a certain point, to critique to show what you know. To show what you think is important. To show how smart and capable you are. I've certainly done that more times than I can count. I think it is important to to have and record those aspects of critique. I also think it is just as important to shut up sometimes. To realize that your valuable opinions are of no use to the person you are critiquing if they aren't ready for them. If they aren't in a place to hear or use the feedback you are offering, it may shut them down or prevent a possible collaboration or friendship.

Related but not related, it is also fun to critique the work of established artists. When I was 22 or so I decided that Degas was a hack. Partly because I was tired of his damn ballet dancers, and partly because I like to poke people sometimes and see what they do. This particular poke session was especially fun and started some great conversations. Then one day, in the Getty I think, I saw one of his pastel drawings that knocked the wind out of me. It was not only beautifully rendered, but it had certain moments where the pastel captured light in this magical inhuman way. It was almost like he had removed the paper and embedded a spiderweb catching sunlight into that moment of that particular drawing. Critique makes me look closer and sit with art longer than I usually would otherwise.

So, critique = bad, then good again.

Tah dah!