I think critiques are one of the art student’s most valuable tool. It’s a process that is unique to the fine arts department. I have never been in another class that does something similar to the art critique. It is so useful because it allows the artist to get a response from an audience. Putting your work up for a critique is like a test flight before you add that work to your portfolio or exhibit it. This way, if you are having your portfolio professionally reviewed later you might expect some of the comments you will hear. Additionally, critiques foster the opportunity for constructive feedback. Each critique helps us improve in giving and receiving criticism, which are both important life-long skills.
Considering my past experiences in critiques, I have found some teachers’ strategies to be very successful.
1. Having a work-in-progress critique be the main time for peers’ constructive criticism. Then, there can be an abridged follow-up critique when the work is finished. Feedback is most important when you are working towards completing your project because you can utilize it an make adjustments. However, this requires the artist to put a lot into the work and not present a rough start. The artist should have a clear direction of where the work is heading before presenting it to the group. Then, the final critique involves less conversation but evaluates the over all success of the piece as a sense of closure.
2. Only looking at a couple artists’ works at a time has been another successful strategy. I have found that hanging up everyone’s art work can be overwhelming. People usually do not know where to start. This also resulted in spending a lot of time on one student’s work and a very short amount of time on the last person. This also invites comparison into the equation, which is a double edged sword. When 1-4 students hang up their work it allows the group to observe the pieces with more focus and care. I think this allows for some very meaningful feedback
3. This is not a strategy, but a necessary ingredient- classmates who care! I think everyone has a responsibility as an art student and an artist to care about our peers’ art. During critiques we should be interested, ask questions, and seek to give honest feedback. We are all artists working in the same room, and eventually in the same art world, so we should help each other as early as possible .
Sound & Sweet 