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From last week’s post on Ethical Dilemmas comes this anonymous comment: “Nearly everyone I know, including myself, refuses to give an honest assessment of an artist’s work, especially if it is a negative one.”
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This commenter goes on to say that while s/he “craves” an honest assessment, it’s really a positive assessment s/he's yearning for.
Feedback is essential, and too many of us don't get enough of it after art school. Yet when we get it, it's easy to get pissed off or feel hurt. And when we give it, it's easy to wimp out. So Anon’s comments form the germ of today’s post, which comes as four questions:
1. What happens if a friend asks for your critical opinion of his work, and you don’t have a particularly positive opinion?
. Do you demur? (“I never discuss a friend's work,” or “Let’s talk about this when I return from Australia, which will be in, oh, three years.”)
. Do you hedge? (“It’s interesting,” or “Wow, what a change from your previous body of work.” )
. Do you equivocate? ("There are things I like about it and things I don't.")
. Do you lie? (“I like it. Really, I like it,” you say and then feel sick in the pit of your stomach because you have encouraged a direction you don’t think is good for your artist friend.)
. Do you give your honest assessment? ("I don't think this is your best work and here's why.") And if so, are you prepared for the disappointment or anger, and the possible weakening or loss of a friendship?
2. Does the conversation have to involve personal opinion? Are you wimping out if you opt to simply discuss what you see?
Feedback is essential, and too many of us don't get enough of it after art school. Yet when we get it, it's easy to get pissed off or feel hurt. And when we give it, it's easy to wimp out. So Anon’s comments form the germ of today’s post, which comes as four questions:
1. What happens if a friend asks for your critical opinion of his work, and you don’t have a particularly positive opinion?
. Do you demur? (“I never discuss a friend's work,” or “Let’s talk about this when I return from Australia, which will be in, oh, three years.”)
. Do you hedge? (“It’s interesting,” or “Wow, what a change from your previous body of work.” )
. Do you equivocate? ("There are things I like about it and things I don't.")
. Do you lie? (“I like it. Really, I like it,” you say and then feel sick in the pit of your stomach because you have encouraged a direction you don’t think is good for your artist friend.)
. Do you give your honest assessment? ("I don't think this is your best work and here's why.") And if so, are you prepared for the disappointment or anger, and the possible weakening or loss of a friendship?
2. Does the conversation have to involve personal opinion? Are you wimping out if you opt to simply discuss what you see?
. Sometimes artists just want to have a fresh pair of eyes look at their work. Can the discussion be about the compositon, the color, the size, the technical issues?
. Can the discussion be about where this work might fit into the larger context of what's happening now?
. Ask questions. Let the artist tell you what the work is about. Maybe it can be less about your opinion and more about your interest in the artist and her work.
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3. If you do deliver negative criticism, can you do it in a way that’s constructive and helpful without alienating the person who has sought your opinion?
. In my experience, there’s always something that interests me, something I like. Something that allows me to start with a positive thought before getting to the negative heart of the matter. And I always preface my comments with, “This is the opinion of one person to a particular group of paintings. It’s not the final word on your work.” Still, it's easy for the artist to focus only on the negative and feel devastated or, worse, feel personally attacked.
. Anyone—but art professors particularly, since you do crits regularly—how do you dish out your negative comments without slicing into the heart of the artist?
4. Is there a difference between the kind of negative criticism you deliver to a friend and that which is delivered by a critic who, presumably, is able to keep a professional distance even if s/he knows the artist?
. Is there something we can learn from the critic in the way of delivery--placing the work in a larger context, perhaps, or using emotionally neutral words to describe the work or your perception of/feelings toward it? For instance, that would mean leaving "love" and "hate" out of the conversation.
. I will share a story here: I consult occasionally with artists who ask for critical feedback on their work. Since I am being paid for my time and opinion, the understanding is that I will be fair and honest, and as emotionally detatched as possible. One time I had to tell someone, "Your work is beautiful and beautifully crafted, but the path you're taking has been carved out by another much more well-known artist. Your work will suffer by comparison. I think you'd be better off directing your your talent down a path of your own making." I held my breath, as this was someone I knew, someone who had a significant body of work that I perceived to be largely derivitave. There was a pause. "Finally, I'm getting the truth," said the artist, who admitted some apprehension about the direction but who had been getting only the classic "I love it" from friends. (Postscript: This artist is carving a parallel path with strong, original new work and has been showing regionally to good response.)
. In my experience, there’s always something that interests me, something I like. Something that allows me to start with a positive thought before getting to the negative heart of the matter. And I always preface my comments with, “This is the opinion of one person to a particular group of paintings. It’s not the final word on your work.” Still, it's easy for the artist to focus only on the negative and feel devastated or, worse, feel personally attacked.
. Anyone—but art professors particularly, since you do crits regularly—how do you dish out your negative comments without slicing into the heart of the artist?
4. Is there a difference between the kind of negative criticism you deliver to a friend and that which is delivered by a critic who, presumably, is able to keep a professional distance even if s/he knows the artist?
. Is there something we can learn from the critic in the way of delivery--placing the work in a larger context, perhaps, or using emotionally neutral words to describe the work or your perception of/feelings toward it? For instance, that would mean leaving "love" and "hate" out of the conversation.
. I will share a story here: I consult occasionally with artists who ask for critical feedback on their work. Since I am being paid for my time and opinion, the understanding is that I will be fair and honest, and as emotionally detatched as possible. One time I had to tell someone, "Your work is beautiful and beautifully crafted, but the path you're taking has been carved out by another much more well-known artist. Your work will suffer by comparison. I think you'd be better off directing your your talent down a path of your own making." I held my breath, as this was someone I knew, someone who had a significant body of work that I perceived to be largely derivitave. There was a pause. "Finally, I'm getting the truth," said the artist, who admitted some apprehension about the direction but who had been getting only the classic "I love it" from friends. (Postscript: This artist is carving a parallel path with strong, original new work and has been showing regionally to good response.)
So my feeling is that if you are asked, and you are honest, and you are fair in your delivery, it's possible to say what you have to say without crushing the ego and psyche of the artist. But not always.
And that brings me over to you. How have you handled the issue of critical feedback--whether as the giver or receiver of critical feedback?
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