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Author: Gradiva_Couzin, Contributing Editor
| Fear of criticism can paralyze talented people who would otherwise be contributing to the art world. But criticism – handled correctly -- can be your most important tool for improving your work.
Imagine a world where nobody says anything negative about your art. You are told by absolutely everybody who sees your work that it is "very nice." Years go by, and you find that you are repeating the same work over and over again. Your art lacks passion, and you feel bored. Then, one day, an out-of-towner comes into your gallery and says: "I love your use of color, but this composition feels unbalanced." Ahhh! Isn’t that refreshing? Thoughtful criticism from a respectful, interested person will improve your artwork if you are able to listen. In this article, I detail 6 methods for handling criticism:
Distinguish Good Criticism From Bad When you are receiving criticism, listen carefully. After each comment, ask yourself: "Does this comment inspire me? Does it make me want to do more art and work harder, or does it make me want to give up?" If somebody’s comments are making you want to give up and quit art, that is not a good critique and they are wasting your time. If they are using terminology that you don’t understand, or talking more about themselves than about you, their thoughts on your artwork are probably not going to be useful to you. Alternately, if a critique makes you want to get back to work right away, or if it gives you new ideas for your work, inspires you, or brings up unanswered questions that have been gnawing at you, then that is what I would call "good" criticism. This is true even if the comments about your artwork are negative. If you have found people who are thoughtful and focused on you and your work, and whose comments make you feel inspired to keep trying, you are very lucky indeed. Take Control In order for you to benefit from criticism, you must be receptive and the critic must be someone you respect. Take control of the criticism by stating up front what you are looking for. For example, one of the best venues for good criticism is in a classroom. Unfortunately, art teachers are generally concerned about hurting students’ feelings and might withhold negative reactions. Therefore, if you are seeking a more in-depth critique of your work, it is a good idea to pull the teacher aside at some point and say: "I am looking for a thorough critique – please don’t worry about hurting my feelings." Once you have taken control of the criticism, it will be much easier to hear. Even if you disagree with the teacher or other students, stay calm and listen to them, keeping in mind that you yourself requested to hear the negatives with the positives. Appreciate the fact that you are getting much more out of the situation than someone saying your work is "very nice." You can go even further by asking for a critique of specific aspects of your work. If you are looking for help on a specific portion of a work of art, but do not want to hear criticism about other elements, you can say something like: "I am very happy with the colors, but I’m concerned about the texture. Do you have any thoughts on the texture?" If a critique is too negative, or too positive, or going in a direction that you don’t feel is helping, or is making you feel defensive, ask for a change: "I’m more interested in talking about the framing, rather than the choice of models." or "Let’s look at this section instead" If there is a particular individual in a classroom situation who is very interesting to you and who provides insightful criticism, you may want to take this individual aside and say something like: "Thank you for your comments! I found your thoughts extremely helpful. I would love to hear what you have to say about the project I’m bringing in next week… would you be willing to take the lead in next week's critique?" Finally, if you simply want to be left alone and don’t want to hear any criticism at all, go ahead and say so. Seek Out Helpful Criticism It’s very likely that you are a much harsher critic of your own work than anybody else will ever be. If you open your work up to a wider audience, you will probably be pleasantly surprised by the helpful and interesting discussions that arise. Some venues that are conducive to helpful criticism are: in your home with family and guests, on-line at a website such as WetCanvas.com where you can upload artwork for critique, at a gallery, café, or studio show, or at art classes, art fairs, and art competitions. If you know an artist, you might request a critique session with him or her in exchange for a meal or a favor. I have also had artists email me with requests for my thoughts on their work. As long as you are polite and do not necessarily expect a response, there is no reason that you shouldn’t write to an artist with such a request. If fear of criticism is preventing you from showing your work to anybody, you can start in an anonymous venue, such as the internet. You can then gradually increase the risk factor – for example, putting up a show at a café where nobody will know you. For your second show (whether a café, at a gallery, in a school, or in your studio), you can invite a select group of supportive people for an opening, and so on. Once you have an audience that you are comfortable with, make sure they know that you are open to hearing their thoughts – both positive and negative. If somebody mentions that he or she is drawn to one of your pieces over others, ask why! You may hear some interesting insights into your work. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself shaking, blushing, or sweating in a critique situation. This is a normal physical reaction and has been experienced by nearly everybody at some time or another. These symptoms are much less visible than they feel, and the people around you will probably not be aware that you are nervous unless you point it out. Prevent Unwanted Criticism Sometimes you know that you are not in a mental space that is receptive to criticism. Maybe you are in the middle of a project and don’t want to be thrown off track. Or, there may be particular individuals whose criticism is hurtful and impairs your progress. In a classroom situation, try to move past people who are giving unhelpful criticism, or ask the teacher to skip over them in future critiques. (Yes, you have a right to ask for this.) If you have a shared studio space or work in a space where your unfinished work can be seen by many people, and you are concerned or embarrassed about a work in progress, prevent any unwanted critiquing by saying something like: "I want to let you know that I’m going to be working on this sculpture for the next few weeks, and I’d appreciate it if you would hold off on commenting on it, so I don’t second guess myself." or "I’ll let you know when it’s ready for a critique." You may also want to cover a work in progress so that you have privacy and are not thrown off by unwanted criticism. If you want to put up a show, but are afraid of the criticism you might receive, you may find it helpful to bring a supportive friend along. You can ask this person to provide blocking for you and protect you from unwanted criticism. Don't Argue Arguing against criticism is pointless. You are not going to convince somebody to like your work if they don’t like it. Furthermore, criticism is not an effort on the critic’s part to find out more information about you or your art. If somebody says something gratuitously mean and insulting about your art, take a step back from the situation and take a look at the critic. Ask yourself, why is this person so hot and bothered about my art? Negative and unproductive criticism does not show superiority, rather it shows weakness and insecurity. (Very great artists are generally sympathetic and interested in other artists – not likely to insult your work). If you can keep this in mind when you are being harshly criticized, you will probably be able to resist arguing. If you find yourself being engaged in an argument by challenges like: "why didn’t you paint this more realistically.. less realistically… with more color … with less color…I think this horizon is too high.. too low.. etc" an excellent and simple response is: "I like it that way," which can be repeated as many times as necessary. If you are showing work at a gallery or art show and are receiving unhelpful or malicious criticism from passers-by, some effective lines are: "thanks for your thoughts. I have to get back to work/lunch/these other customers now" "hmmmmmm" (thoughtful nodding) "I see" "ok then, maybe another artist at the show will work out for you" Don’t reveal how hurt you may feel, and don’t waste your time with someone who is providing unproductive criticism. Listen To Yourself Above All If all else fails, listen to yourself. Your satisfaction from your art will ultimately come from your own preferences, not those of anybody else. Remember that you have taken a huge risk in putting your work on display for others to criticize, and you deserve credit for that. I like to think of myself as doing a service for the world by taking the risk to make something new. Whether the work is perfect or flawed, the value of the service is the same. Artists throughout history have benefited from criticism. A helpful, productive critique from a thoughtful person whom you respect and which comes to you when you are in the right state of mind to hear it can be a crucial aid to your growth as an artist. The next time you have an opportunity to show your work to the world, take the risk with these 6 techniques and you will see that criticism does not have to be your enemy! |
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| B i o g r a p h y | |
| Portraits and Copies of Old Masters, paintings in oil. | |
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Born: July 22, 1970, Chicago, Illinois
Education: No formal arts education. I was originally educated as a Civil Engineer and switched to painting in 1998. I have been painting regularly for about 10 years, professionally since 1998. I have been training myself in an ongoing way by copying old masters, drawing and painting models, and by the continual trial and error process of a working artist. My goal as an artist is to create works that depict the incredible beauty that I see in the world around me every day. I chose to focus on portraiture primarily because the face is what I love most, what I respond to in other artwork, what I find most beautiful, and also what seems to speak to others. I also love the fact that portraits become heirlooms, that they hang with pride in living rooms, that families look at them and talk about them and remember them, and that a portrait painting may become a real part of somebody’s daily emotional life. I’m honored that my work can be interwoven with people’s lives in this way, and it is the greatest satisfaction to me as an artisan when I know that my work is loved and enjoyed. gra1@gradiva.com |
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| E-Mail: gra1@gradiva.com Web Site: http://www.gradiva.com/ | |
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