Critique

What a triggering title, I’m sure, for many readers, especially those that went to Art school (or, like myself, Architecture school, where in my first critique a professor literally asked “whose Mongolian cluster fuck is this” about a model that had taken me 20+ hours over a couple of days). So I thought we’d start with a little haha- literally. everyone. who went to art school has been in a situation like the one Terry Zwigoff brings us in the vignette above (based on Daniel Clowe’s comic and screenplay) .

The topic is on my mind for several reasons. One is recent feedback I’ve gotten on some exhibition proposals. First and foremost I find* myself grateful to actually get feedback- those of you reading who submit a lot of proposals know how rare it is to find out why your submission wasn’t at the top of the stack. And while I could, but won’t, lie that reading “this aspect was thin” or “explain better how it actually does that” *raised defensive hackles at first (any abstractionist reading this knows about critique that is actually leveled at the modality and not your work in any specific way), once I noticed myself having those thoughts, I was able to realize I could have *much* better answers. This was an opportunity to grow and improve- how wonderful, and, again, lucky for me to be given the prompt to do so.

I have to give a shout-out to Adam Grant. My boss at the old day job gave us all a copy of Hidden Potential for a holiday gift and I just got around to picking it up recently. Don’t let the source or the endorsements scare you off- the ;tldr is that we can all learn to be better learners. You don’t have to pick it up because you want to be a CEO or the next MVP of the WNBA yourself.

One of the other reasons I have “critique” centered in my consciousness this week is the recent passing of Jeremy Gilbert Rolfe, a painter that I’ve always admired who also had an amazing facility with words. Whenever I think of him I’m reminded of his visit to the University of Houston when I was in grad school there- it was easily the best critique I had in terms of the attention he paid to what I was doing as an abstractionist. Perhaps not surprising? Again, those with Art school PTSD know that too many established artists (and under-appreciated profs…) love emotionally abusing 18-24 year olds. As far of the value of the feedback goes, I believe that while it’s valuable to get (and give) feedback from sources that lean in different directions from your practice, a kindred spirit will just see things that others don’t. Facts. So, find your tribe and nurture those relationships! Seriously- the best feedback I got about the proposal *and* the response to the same came from one such relationship that has become one of the most important to me and to my practice (you know who you are, I love you my friend).

FWIW I try to make critique a part of my practice, both by having a regularly scheduled meet-up with a consistent group (the thread of years of seeing each other’s work change over time and having visibility into the genesis of the same is a *powerful* tool for critique) and also by teaching.

BTW, for those of you that are local to the Triangle, you might be aware that I’ve been making a point this year of giving and asking for studio visits, or just meet-ups for a beverage. If we haven’t connected yet, let’s make it happen. And if I’ve promised you we would and haven’t followed through, thanks for your patience!