How to Critique | The Art Assignment | PBS Digital Studios
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- Опубліковано 8 жов 2014
- Pre-order our book YOU ARE AN ARTIST (which includes new assignments!) here: bit.ly/2kplj2h Today we discuss the conventions of art critique and explore the possibility of the internet as an arena for constructive critique. Can we do it?!
Recommended reading:
Matthew Goulish, 39 Microlectures: In Proximity of Performance (2000)
James Elkins, Art Critiques: A Guide (Second Edition, 2012)
Kendall Buster and Paula Crawford, The Critique Handbook: The Art Student's Sourcebook and Survival Guide (2nd Edition, 2009)
"Interesting" is what my grandmother says when she didn't enjoy the dinner. XD
This video was interesting because it:
A. addressed a social issue applicable across many mediums.
B. Was relevant to the medium in which it was published
C. Was commentated extremely well
And then you suppressed us with
D. Showing us your own work which itself deserves a critique... but seeing as I just critiqued this video I'm gonna hold off.
Thanks for another insightful video!
Well done! Thanks for the thorough and non-lazy use of "interesting."
Wait you mean "surprised us" right?
The world need, nay deserves, a Crash Course Art History with Sarah running it.
have we been good enough?
Why isn't this real yet? PLEASE!
@crashcourse yes pls
so true, it's common knowledge that art can only be correctly viewed once you're familiar with all art history (from one perspective), and just like the video starts by saying, even though modern art is all about breaking long held artistic traditions, we should critique art in the traditional way, obviously
Yes!!!! ❤️❤️❤️
I have a love/hate relationship with critiques. I'm a final year woven textile design student so i've had my fair share of good, and bad, critiques. For me, the critiques I hate the most are not the ones that make me cry or feel sub-par, they are the ones that provide no constructive critisism. I recently had a change of tutor and they are very unhelpful. I present my work, she asks obvious questions (for example, she hold a blue piece of cloth and asks if it is blue) and then ends the critique. I've asked for feedback but she says I need to become more indepenant and critique my own work. I fully understand the importance of self critique however I am paying £9000 a year for her to waste my time.
These are the best damn videos about art on UA-cam.
ikr
no... u
Thank you. My child is in year 9 and was asked the above question - to talk about a piece of artwork. thanks for your good ideas.
This art is trash
Compositionally, since eyes naturally always form very strong focal points, especially when staring out, the dual sets of eyes creates a lot of tension as they both try to be the focal point. Perhaps the tension was intentional, since there's only one subject and that single subject creates tension within itself, perhaps it's expressing an internal tension or struggle of the artist herself- the left represents how she shows herself, but the right represents how she views herself - much different than how people see her. Also intriguing that there's no consistent light source hence the inconsistent shadows. I think it would have been a more interesting aesthetic study if there had been a single light source. But perhaps if a light source is viewed symbolically, then if light represents direction, then perhaps tieing back into the tension idea earlier, the tension could be caused by an uncertain direction in life. The left shows a direction the artist _should_ take, but the opposing right speaks of a suppressed direction the artist _wants_ to take.
You're good. Really good. The dual eyes of this painting made it impossible for me to ever live with it out in a room, even for a short time. While it does create tension that holds me in to the act of looking, it can be rather disturbing to have these two sets of peepers following you around a room. And if you had been around in my art class at the time, I would have really appreciated the single light source suggestion. Although I doubt I could have executed it! Thanks for this great contribution to the discussion.
I like what you are saying about the tension created by the eyes and I too felt the impact of two sets of eyes. The colour choices for the shading of the eyes and mouths of the two faces - that they correspond horizontally rather than thematically across the faces - makes the tension more intense. I found myself thinking that if if was flipped upside down the colours would change so it made em think of the permanence of an object in conjunction with perspective...
TheJaredtheJaredlong i
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I loved the part on the aspect of wonder. As an art student in art school I think my favorite critiques of my own or of others is when the critique really runs with what one person or everyone finds as wonderful.
I've never been to art school but positive/complimentary critiques sound really nice, I feel like they could really inspire you to run with what's best in your work.
I miss videos from this channel a lot. I keep watching, rewatching and recommending them to my friends. This channel is one of the things that taught me to love contemporary art. Thank you so much, Sarah!
"Wow it's a beautiful Rothko"
"That's a bath mat"
"And...."
David Schmidt well next to crap in a can think about how good it is.
Your channel and videos have become so helpful during this quarantine. Thank you! As an Art Professor, you have filled in so many gaps, created curiosities, and made my job less stressful teaching studio and lecture courses online. I love the broad range of topics and open-minded approaches to heavy subject matter. This is helpful for both students and experts. I have even started to think about some things in a new way. The book is wonderful too! I cannot wait to dive deeper into the projects this summer. Keep up the excellent and much needed high-quality content!
You make me feel like everyone should spend a semester in Art school. I love your videos so much damn it!
NGL, I kinda love that bathmat. Maybe it's not art, but maybe the shot of it before it's revealed to be a bathmat is.
Or maybe the act of presenting it as art and then revealing its true nature is the art
NGL, I was very picky in my selection of that bathmat.
The Art Assignment One of my art professors did something similar. He gave a whole lecture about this artist from world war II whose paintings had been unearthed in an attic. He was an official painter for the German government and was so creatively oppressed that he painted these massive abstract expressionist paintings, and we soaked it up, and at the end, he revealed that all the paintings he had shown were simply photographs of the table we were sitting at - which was a work table and he had taken bits of truth from a variety of sources and fabricated the rest. It shifted the perspective of what the art was from the "paintings" to the realm of "photography" (ie photographs of the table) and then the final twist was neither of those things which were secondary to the experience of the lecture and the "reveal" and the process of changing perceptions about context and art making and fact and fiction. It blew my closed mind wide open about what art is, should be, could be. So yes, love the bath mat.
I love the name of the artist: Art C. Pursin. Lol
You can get sheets, pillowcases and bathmats with art on them. Also, there are textile designers who are recognized for their art. One of the purposes of art is decoration, so, yes, the bathmat is art.
Thank you, Sarah, for keeping it real, honest, constructive, and fun! And most of all for creating an intellectual and creative platform for us to engage and grow.
Here here.
Fantastic advice! It's very applicable to a variety of circumstances. I personally love getting critiques...even from people who hate my work. I guess I just truly enjoy hearing *any* perspective on something I've made because it means someone took the time to see it and think about it.
"There's a lot you can say about something without declaring it good or bad." So incredibly true! I find that people get so caught up in their own opinion about a work that they don't engage with it very deeply. Saying something like "Your painting looks like a kid did it" doesn't interact with the various elements of it. This kind of critique doesn't help the artist or yourself. Ask yourself what is being said and comment on that. Ask if your impression is similar to what the artist aimed for. You don't even have to have the same interpretation to find your own personal meaning within it.
One of my art teachers posted this as a suggested video before our semester begins. Clear and quick summary of good critiquing. Thank you
Same
Thank you Sarah! As always, a valuable contribution.
I love that you mentioned that the process of a critique is often more important for the person offering it, that we learn by formulating our opinion of a work of art and considering the work of others. I think that may be important for the artist hearing the critique to consider too because sometimes a critique can be deflating or emotionally painful even. It is good to keep in mind that sometimes you have to keep the opinions of others at a distance, knowing which ones to keep and which ones to throw back. That can be a hard skill to acquire.
By far the best channel on art. They embody what art is to me. Not necessarily what is seen but where in comes from and the feelings that create art
Thank you! I love this channel, it has deepened my appreciation and understanding of the art world since I've started watching it.
I will take your advice Sarah and ask some questions. When doing this painting, did you primarily focus on the technique aspect - as in trying to develop good under painting skills? Or did you focus on the content and narrative of your self portrait? And are the dual representations of yourself meant to show different aspects of who you are, or is there a higher meaning?
Good questions, but unfortunately I don't have the answers. I painted this 13 years ago, and I truly do not remember. That's what makes the critique fascinating to me--that it's almost as if I'm coming to this completely fresh and without any knowledge of the making. I do think it was mostly a technique study, but that I was surely trying to at least set up some varying avenues of interpretation. I don't think I had a solid sense of who I was, so my guess is that it was more of my own investigation into my persona than any "expression."
I love these suggestions. I'm reminded of two books: Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg and Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson.
Personally, I often withhold feedback because I try not to presume my experience of something is necessarily important to it's creator. It's an equanimity practice for me. But I also recognize that articulating a meaningful critique is a muscle that I need to exercise to strengthen it. It's certainly easier irl.
Thank you for making this video. I'm always a fan of discussing how to have more effective dialogues with others, especially online where conversations tend to devolve quickly into name-calling.
I thought similarly as you for a long time, thinking that it is presumptuous of me to think that people want or need my opinion, and leaving it to others.This changed when I started following a writer on a self-publishing site and they made me realise how demoralising it is to work alone, create in solitude and then share, only to be faced with a wall of silence. Later, when I started using social networks to share my work, I experienced this for myself.
So, if you have anything to say, to at least some of the artists whose work moved you in some way, I am sure it would be much more appreciated than your discretion :)
This is such a great video about critique! I was just talking about the nature of internet interaction and had never really thought about the connection to art critique. I will be passing this on to many people!
I especially like the last idea, which is put yourself out there. I don't like to comment on the internet because of ego or maybe something else. However, I just realize the importance of doing so. It can help you to actually engage in something instead of just scanning. This channel is really inspiring. Thanks.
You mentioned Ed Paschke. Recently, a friend of mine was cleaning out a house and found hundreds of pieces of art from an artist who died a decade or so ago, the art is currently in my studio and it's really amazing. I'm going to attempt to host a retrospective next year. The artist was Rick Ulman, an artist from St. Louis who showed mostly in Europe. He graduated from the SAIC in 1969 with Ed Paschke and Roger Brown. Within the hundreds of pieces from Ulman was a portfolio containing 1 piece from each student in the graduating class of 1969, Ed Paschke included. Unfortunately, there was one missing piece, and it was Roger Brown's. But overall, this was an amazing find and I think it would make a great show.
direct, clear and thought provoking, thanks Sarah! look forward to an Art history course if you make one!
I'm so glad that the Art Assignment did a video on critiquing, as an art student it plays a huge role in your art process.
I'm so grateful to find this video. This video is so helpful. Sometimes I always confuse to critic or respon something (mostly about art).
The different hues used in the faces is intriguing. The one on the right (upside down) reminds me of when people have a "face/body mismatch" when they apply makeup that has a slightly different color than their skin. Although your self portrait appears barren and make up free, it conveys the idea that we have control over our phenotype and image.
This is a very useful discussion on effective critique practices. A screenwriting professor (Lou Berney) once told me that criticism should be "ruthless but kind," and that is the standard I have always lived by. I've been using this video as an introduction to peer review in the writing classes I teach.
I just found this channel and loved
Love this channel. Thumbs up! It makes exploring art become less complicated.
I clicked on this video because I wanted to learn about art critiquing, but with a pleasant turn of events, I'm leaving with great guidelines to use in school. I just started graduate school, and it's been challenging me with its constant discussions over the readings, lecture, and one another's thoughts. It's been daunting staying afloat when my peers have really insightful comments, or sometimes incredibly controversial ones, and all the thoughts in between. Thanks Sarah! Also, this is my first youtube comment. You are right, it's easy to hole up, but nice to engage :)
Good luck with grad school! I think we all feel this way. :)
I love your painting because of its dool nature. l like the color because they a not super warm and neither sober by still being serious which l can tell would fit your mood and reflect your personality at that time in your life. I like it because it looks and feels like you. I like that you painted to the edges of the painting with no boards making yourself limitless. It works very well. Wonderful work!
I have a presentation tomorrow that really drives home for me how important and helpful these sorts of insights can be.
Thank you for taking the time to share this message. It is truly needed in our world today. 💞💜👍🏼
As new artists, or neophyte critics, looking through the age old list of Principles of Art and Elements of design, having that bank list of descriptive adjectives beside you, and applying the universal Golden Rule of kindness, by being sensitive to how extreme your commentary may affect an artist (We all have to find a way to be supportive...we are all in this together...and none of us are infallible). Providing more questions to the artist rather then negative commentary, would still enlighten the artist and the viewers. Insightful video Sara. Thank you.
What I found most helpful was that she listed the "etiquette to critique," a process where many don't have the format. She also gives a great reminder that critiquing is often most instructive for the person offering it and that a person shouldn't be lazy while giving a comment. It was also helpful because she encouraged everyone to put one's work out there and let it be critiqued even if it makes you feel vulnerable because in the end you will only learn how to do it better the next time. -Monique Rios
Really great points that can be applied to so many things not only art, but book reviews or architecture. Really great short lesson.
I really enjoyed this, as a new director to an acting class I've had trouble with the way I critique. This has definitely made me think and I think I'll return to it when my next round of scenes comes up.
Thanks Sarah, this was very helpful. I use the word "Interesting" way too much, partly because I feel unqualified to say much else about art (and other things). It's great to have a template for the sorts of things to look at and comment on.
I think the thing I liked most about your painting was the fact you painted two portraits with one upside down. It reminded me of the forensic science course I took a year ago, where we learned about a technique security staff in airports use to discover imposters using stolen passports - they look at the pictures upside down. that makes them detached from the context of the face, so they can concentrate on specific features and discover if they don't match with the person in front of them. that's what I like about this painting - You get the full context of a face while still being able to examine each feature separately in the upside down part. For me it also really enhances the difference in hues and color wash in each part of the painting.
Thank you for sharing it :)
I doubt this is what Sarah was going for, but the first details I noticed is that the Sarah on the right looks darker and has darker circles under her eyes and the cheekbones look a little more pronounced. It reminded me of the long hours I put in in college and how I felt like my life was in constant turmoil (reinforced by the right-side-up and up-side-down Sarahs).
I got a mirror so I could view both in standard orientation. Both are so similar, minor differences, that I wondered whether they were both taken from the same photograph. This could have been a steriograph.
I love the way she talks, she just sounds so well that once in a while I kind of lose attention to the content for a few seconds just cuz her voice flows so smoothly, jajaja, it's a lovely channel, In glad I found it.
Hello! I'm a little newbie to the Art Assignment, but gotta say I'm liking it so far! This video wound up being about something I thought I knew much about already, but I was delighted to hear some new concepts and ideas!
As for my critique on your artwork, I find the painting to be an excellent display of using color to shade, rather than boring monotone grays! I found the shading near the eyes to be especially striking. I also really love the balance of colors between the two heads - in one, the face's lips are an orangey yellow, which is the same sort of color used to shade near the eyes... and on that face, the lips are greenish, which is the color used for the shading by the other head's eyes. I find this detail particularly thought-stirring, and wonder if perhaps there was any symbolism behind this choice of color juxtapositioning and alternation. It leads me to imagine that the two heads were meant to symbolize opposite sides of oneself, while still remaining true to the entirety of oneself, as the self is still the same person regardless of the portrayal of a few traits.
I've seen in other comments that you find the orangey neck distracting, and it does command attention, but it made me go looking for the other colors in the composition and I love how the colors shift from orangey to green and yellow. It makes it disjointed in a unified way. I also love how it won't let my eyes rest. I'm constantly darting back between the eyes. Even when I turn it upside down, the one on the right seems more stark and stern. It speaks of someone who at first glance is mild mannered, but the other side of them is harder in some way than most people expect.
The painting is beautifully earnest, I find the upsidedown side to feel more personal, especially after looking at the painting from that perspective myself. I am inspired to explore this technique.
I love the way the added colors go straight across from the eyes in one portrait to the mouth in the reverse portrait and so on. I sort of got lost in this one aspect for a while.
When I was in art school, what I found most valuable in a critique is when I was told what worked, what didn’t work and why.
This painting reminds me of my childhood days when my sister and I use to hang out together more often. Whenever she use to see my face upside down, she would say that I look like another person, like a particular friend of her. I think by seeing one's face up side down one can discover a completely different persona. I guess you have used this kind of observations to try to explore the inner conflicts of your personality.
I love all your videos I have already seen. You are a great "teacher" .
In the past I have always felt somewhat reluctant to critique art, simply because art is often an expression of the artist's longing to create and to inspire. I think that all humans are artists. I have often heard many people bemoaning their own attempts at drawing, that they couldn't draw a stick figure if they wanted. This is an exaggeration of course, but be able to draw should not be where one stops when it comes to creating something of wonder, something that inspires or generates a debate. What I love about this project (The Art Project) is how it demonstrates exactly what I believe is important to understand and that is that art is not limited to drawing, painting and sculpture. And it is also not limited to film, dance and music. The example of the bath mat is perfect. It was created by someone, someone had to design it. It has a certain appeal and its existence in the bathroom makes the space within that room warm and inviting. I believe all of us possess an innate response to art and that we all possess a need to create something beautiful even if that beauty appeals to ourselves and isn't that what makes art so compelling? Love this stuff. Keep it coming and thanks!!
This was a very helpful video! I'll definitely follow some of these guidelines for group critiques in class.
Thanks!
Loved Ed Paschke and he taught at Barat College also...he was amazing! So appreciate your comments and I share this with my Marketing students before their Pitches. Thank you!
I found this video very helpful and it helped me learn some things that I couldn’t quite figure out! Thank you
woman, you are so articulate... breath of fresh air.
i really love this artwork, it is so unique, I love how both you can live together in one painting, like two twins. so simple yet complex. i just love it, love the backgound, love the red glow in your hair, love the face structure, very simetric. you can improve by making a more define shadow, and make them stare in diferent direccion so it wont feel creepy. overall good.
3 things:
1 -- "Ugh, I said interesting." I chuckled so much at that afterthought at the end of the video.
2 -- I'm intrigued by the contemplative expression on your artwork that is further enhanced by the color palette. I ask myself what it is that You-the-Subject were thinking, as well as You-the-Artist. It provides for a curious conversation piece.
3 -- "Aspects of Wonder" was a phrase you used that sounds like a brilliant title for an Art Assignment publication. I'm not-so-subtly suggesting that I would be thrilled to see this made and would happily be the first to purchase. =~D
I would be fascinated to see that self-portrait next to one you would do now. I think sometimes the most interesting critiques are in comparisons; seeing growth and change.
What grabs me immediately about the piece is the eyes, they seem to be looking just past you and not directly at you. That makes the piece compelling to me.
The painting is nicely balanced, and the slight changes in the colour adds interest.The complementary composition of the two faces is pleasing to look at
Not a fan of most modern art. But you are easy to love! I will continue to listen to the words you make with your face and learn from them.
I now have quite a few Online Students and I agonize over giving them critiques. Mostly I just give encouragement with a sprinkling of suggestions. They all are trying very hard and with many being beginners, I'n reluctant to be very harsh. I remind myself what it was like when I first started painting. This was a very helpful video and I'll be sharing it with them.
I am a student at SVA, and this was useful/interesting to even someone who does crit every week!
This site is so clever!
At my age I don't find a lot of things clever.
I love the word interesting and all the variations there of. It makes me think of the candelabra from Beauty and the Beast when he says, "Something that will spark her interest." So interesting to me means Belle spinning about a castle Library. The Art Assignment is interesting to me. The painting shown here is interesting, but why is it interesting? It is interesting because as a self portrait one gets to see how the painter views themselves. It is deeply personal. Especially since it was made in the past. One is quite literally looking into the psyche of someone's past when gazing at such a portrait. Of course one can never be certain of proper interpretation of that psyche, because it is filtered through the viewers. I could say, I see a young girl anxiously honing her skills, but, do I see that because the video referenced this was made at art school? I may never know. That conundrum could lead me down a path to an internal crisis of correlation and causation. However, I won't allow that. The painting didn't ask that of me. Instead, I'll enjoy the experience of a personal piece of art.
But "interesting" doesn't mean you think it's good or bad. Bullying is interesting. Shakespeare is interesting. One of those is harmful and frowned upon, while the other is entertaining and praised. The word "interesting" doesn't hold any weight on its own. In your post, you start with interesting, but to explain why, you had to expand with a more detailed critique.
I understand what interesting means. It just has positive connotations for me. Therefore I personally use it in a positive way.
Xenolilly Interesting.
Completely valid, well-defended use of the word interesting. We are thinking about the same things when we look at this painting. I feel so completely detached from the person who made this painting that it is almost as if it was made by someone else. I think a self-portrait is always tied to that exact moment in time--it can't just be a self portrait of [person], it must be a self portrait of [person] in [date made].
I think interesting might not be a good word to use in critiques because it's based more about the person than the work. Not too many things in the world are universally interesting so if someone calls a piece interesting it might only be interesting to that one person, if that makes any sense. But it can be so really revealing what a person thinks is interesting. Like the first two things you came up with to classify as interesting for you are bullying and Shakespeare and that's so interesting to me because I think those things are interesting too but they wouldn't be on top of my list.
Your self-portrait evokes a melancholy feeling in me. The faces' wide eyes seem to stare straight into my soul and pick out all my worries and confusion about the future. The fact that the faces are upside-down relative to each other adds to this disconcerting and slightly surreal feeling for a couple of reasons. First, it's strange to look at a face upside-down. My brain tries to interpret the eyes as if they were right side up, making them even wider and more penetrating. Second, it seems that there are two people in the image whose perspectives/worldviews/opinions are irreconcilably different, even when looking at the same thing (or person, like the viewer). I don't know which to respond to first, or whether to tell the upside-down one that she's looking at the world the wrong way, because it seems she'll insist that I and her counterpart are the upside-down ones.
i was required to watch this for class... and i unironically enjoyed it. huh. kudos!
This was uploaded on my birthday!
It reminds me of wizards and magic. When I was very young, I loved loved loved witches and the idea of magic. Who didn't? This piece brings a sort of nostalgia especially with Halloween right around the corner. I love the idea of having one version of yourself upside down and one to the front almost as if you're portraying your alter ego. Adding texture might have helped the piece have a more mystical/eerie feel depending on what you were going for.
This is a very insightful and helpful episode.
critics are essential to Art! im great full for this video :)
In your self portrait I really enjoy the idea of underpainting, which I haven't yet studied, however I feel that the composition would be improved you have madr the two beings of yourself interact or blend together more. The choice not to do so creates a hard line in the center of the piece, splitting it into two equal pieces which is usually frowned upon in my classes. But I love your work :)
My first impulse when I'm observing this is that game of identify what's the same and what's different. At first glance it is apparent that it is intended to be the same person and yet there are certain discernable differences such as the parting hair pattern, some of the cheek bones, and the different hue on the right neck. But as much as people talk about focal points and the couple sets of eyes, which could relate to our brains psychological dependence on perceiving human features, I believe from looking at this the artist intended to invoke more metaphorical questions then those of craft and taste. See, there are many ways for artists today to make the perfect duplicate, but that does not appear to be the case here. Rather, there seems to be more of the beginning questions of ontological and institutional nature. I perceive these questions of "how is this working" and "presentation" being at the forefront. I see these through the artistic devices incorporated by the artists. First, I see the prominence of device, frontal. Throughout much of art history, if there is a straightforward idea being presented artists have chosen to depict their figures in frontal. Also, it's an easy way to connect your piece to art of old. The second device incorporated is that of the diptych. An efficient approach to contain multiple ideas or a duplicity in a single image or thought, or even just telling a narrative, is the diptych. This artist uses the diptych seemingly to multiply the intensity of the self-portrait assignment. She could be trying to suggest increasing her self identity but it seems like she's more so making a point about the assignment then anything else. And the fact that she turned 1 side of the diptych upside down suggests her attempt at turning, at least partially, the artistic conventions on their head. Thirdly, well, there isn't really a third point unless you consider the rendering of the saturation of color as a jab at over-craftmanship. It is more probable that this is the artist's current level of ability. See, in my art, I try to incorporate a rule of three particularly when I am driving home a metaphorical point. If I can express, say an ontological question in at least 3 different ways then I feel more successful or justified. I know it isn't necessary but it is something I always try to grapple in the formative stages of my pieces. I feel this self-portrait diptych is a good addition to this artist's repertoire of work and I look forward to seeing her push these ideas, if not others, in her future works.
I bet the art work is new. Thanks for the obvious signs and self-portrait. It is creative indeed. Good.
Are there any more videos on critiques? I'm busy with Arts journalism assignments and could use as much advice as possible.
Really love your videos! they are very on point and great for educational purposes! Thanks for the content :)
This had so many helpful points! I shared it with my graphic design peers and maybe we can apply some of the points to our next project critique!
This brings me back to my time in college, my art professor really didn't like the word "interesting". If that word was uttered, he'd turn to the speaker and immediately ask "oh? So why is it interesting?" Not that he wanted to embarrass someone, he wanted to push us towards clearer expressions of thought.
I never liked contemporary art, before I started watching this show. I found it confusing and felt like is was exclusive, the art assignment has made me appreciate it and realize I was being foolish. The best thing it has done for me is too make me think more deeply and complexly, not just about art but about my whole life and everything when wandering around. It is my favorite thing on the internet and i watch it just before bed as nothing else relaxes me more in the world. so thank you. oh and seeing as this episode is about critique.i guess it's not as polished yet as it could be but then look at 2007 Hank and John videos compared to now. apologies for my lack of eloquence especially compared to other comments, i'm new to this commenting thing.
The bath mat reminded me of Agnes Martin's infinities. Except the bathmat has the texture to quote sand, a more tactile representation of the shoreline and the horizon and the space between. That was a fun moment. A bathmat! That makes me happy.
Sarah: "...you've done A, B, and C and then surprised us all by adding D." I am always surprised by the D... context is everything. I apologize to my friends and family for this comment, I watch too many Wimbly Wombly videos.
Alright, now for the critique of your art piece, first of all it's pretty fantastic in terms of execution, you draw gooood. I enjoy how the colors stay the same across both of the portraits, i.e. the lips are green in the left portrait and the eyes are green in the right portrait, it really links the two pieces together. The eyes have that 1000 yard stare across my left shoulder. And not to mention color too much, but I enjoy your palette of colors, the yellow and green are nice accents. The darker color on the neck of the right portrait looks like spray tan.
Annnnnd, thats my critique. I would like a critique of my critique, thank you.
Well, I'll be giving this a try. I find your interest in composing the figures in the painting to be quite compelling. It reminds me of a film called inverted prima in which the director wanted this concept within storytelling. I could also state that this portrait seems to establish the meaning of it being about the inter workings of the mind to choose what path you want to go down. Good painting keep rocking.
What I find interesting about Sarahs piece is the way she uses colour in her work. The yellow en green tones in the face go well with the purple/red on the background, what I also like are the sharp contours in her work, it makes you look at her face differently. I think it would be nice if we could critique work of others more often, it would be even cooler if we could send in our art and get critique of the art assignment community!
I think the underpainting result was simple and assertive, the lights and shadows are really well done, very subtle. The draft has beautiful lines, traces are symmetric, except for the nose proportion, but this little difference let me think that each head belongs to a different person, like twins. The first moment that I saw these signs led me to notice the subtle representation of two sides of a personality, something about the contrast of the hair and the neck. The right side is upside down, the colors are darker and stronger. The other one has a delicate hue, it seems to have a kind and benevolent personality. Remembers me the Brazilian soap opera called "Sand Women" where there were these twins sisters "Ruth and Rachel", they had these characteristics and they look pretty much like this painting. The The chosen color behind adds to it even more drama.
I really enjoy her shading on her potrait. It's just enough to define certain aspects of her face without being too much. It makes it lifeless yet full of reality. I'm not sure that makes sense or not. Like... there's not really an expression on the face, but, as humans, we all don't really hold that much expression on a day to day basis.
Please come back to close out 2020 and a necessary & needed finale!
I like the part about the word "interesting". I just used it yesterday when I suggested my mom watch the musical guest on Letterman (musical guest Hatsune Miku). My mom asked me if she would like it and I just responded that she would find it... interesting. I always use "interesting" in that way only. I never use it if I love something or if I dislike something.
I found myself more connected to the upside down self-portrait rather than the normal right-side-up one. I seem to notice the shadowing in the eyes and the nose more in the one on the right than the left. I think it is the whole darker color palate used on that one that grabbed me.
The whole upside down/right side up idea is a big departure from the regular, stuffy, self-portraits that we see done in art museums. The thinking outside the box is what draws me to the portrait. The whole piece is versatile in that you could hang it one way when you are in one mood and the other when you are feeling another way.
Please note that I am not an art student in any way. I only took two drawing classes as pre-requisites in order to get my associates degree. In those classes we maybe did a critique every two weeks or so. So I've only taken part in a handful of this sort of thing.
Thank u, you open my mind so much, keep it that way
OMG! I am a Gemini. I love the duality of your piece. If I saw it in front of me, I would buy it ASAP!
Gee, thanks! I never thought about it that way. I agree with you now!
I love this show!!
thank you for this! This is really helpful!
Excellent video, as usual. Thinking about why we critique and what value critique has is something (I think) we don't often do. It's valuable to think about it.
Something I find striking about this painting is now much more vibrant the upside down Sarah appears to be, there is more contrast in the colors, more depth, she seems more alive. At first glance I read the eyes on the left, right-side-up Sarah as being strangely vacant. I say strangely mainly because I was reminded of how, despite the vivaciousness and detail present in most of his subjects' eyes, Alphonse Mucha's self-portraits often lacked such life in his own eyes. Then I was immediately drawn to the other set of eyes which seemed to express more.
I have some questions. Were the underpainted colors chosen for each side different? If so, why? Was Sarah trying to convey something different with each version of herself or merely practicing the technique? And finally, one that's probably unanswerable, is there any other reason why the inverted self would seem so much more expressive and vivacious to the artist or to the observer?
I'm an art teacher and I've found that the Feldman Method is helpful. 1) Describe (stating facts about subject matter, medium, which elements of art are being used, etc.); 2) Analyze (how does the artist use the Principles of Design in their artwork); 3) Interpretation (what meaning is gained from this, what do you think was the artist's intent, etc.); 4) Judgement/Evaluation (discuss the merit, success, or importance of the artwork).
When my students critique, they use this as well as discussing which parts were successful and which parts need improvement...again based on the Elements of Art and Principles of Design. And how those Elements and Principles help with visual communication.
perhaps unrelated but consider doing a video tour of the bookshelf behind. thankyou
Following up Critiques with affirmations and points of interests is obvious and excitingly challenging
The painting had a deadpan look to it, expressionless, without feeling or emotion, giving it a quality close to that of walking into a completely empty house with nothing in it. When looking at someone, we expect emotion, a specific appearance, just like walking into a house. We expect that house to have a tv, a couch, a fridge, bedrooms, objects we are accustomed to in that environment. This bare look in the portrait is alien, and unexpected.
The viewer would be left staring at the portrait.
This is what I found appearing in the portrait, and experienced from it.
As an artist who shares her art on a lot of different online forums I wish I could share this video with everyone. Sometimes I do receive genuine substantive critiques, usually on art forums. I appreciate that. However when shared with the general public, so many people think that the only way to critique art is to say something negative, and usually they provide no detail other than an adjective. If I have to ask what their critique meant I don't think it was a successful critique.
Yes, a good critique should have a balance of recognizing an artwork's strengths while also addressing what can be improved! Seeing what's working is just as important as what can be improved.