The Criticism We Need

courage,criticism,critique,life,quotes,freiheit-10f4778fb3d5c937dcc1a566b206e2a3_h

A large part of the conversation this week at Synergy had to do with our avoidance of constructive criticism. The consensus was unanimous – criticism is necessary to our growth and improvement as artists and community, but the hurdles we have to overcome to change a culture of “Like” into a supportive culture of thoughtful examination are huge. According to surveys conducted for this convention, the vast majority of polymer artists create because it is a source of enjoyment, not because they are trying to make a living off of it or get into galleries or museums. With such a base and the pervasive nature of our internet dependent community, it will be difficult for us to get even a fraction of our folks into a habit of giving and graciously accepting criticism of our artwork.

However, avoiding criticism does reduce the effectiveness of our efforts to grow the polymer image from hobbyist craft medium, to a serious fine art form. More so, we still need our hobbyists, and the criticism is not going to be – and should not be – an integral part of their process. Sometimes we should just enjoy the process of creating. But for the serious artists in our community, criticism needs to be seen as essential and, someday, common. Because the inverse of the quote above is true … what we do will mean next to nothing if we avoid criticism and the opportunity to improve our visual communication with the world we present our work to.

Okay … I got all kinds of serious. Perhaps its because last night was so not serious. Our closing banquet was fraught with silliness, innuendo, and wonderfully warm camaraderie. Our sides and faces hurt from laughing but the conviviality assisted the auction raising efforts. I don’t have the numbers, but I hear we raised a record amount to help the IPCA continue its efforts and changes we are hearing about.

Now off to the American Craft Council show to see what else is going on in the craft world.

Higher Grounds

January 20, 2013

copy-quote

This quote brought two thoughts to mind. First, there has been a bit of chat on several fronts lately about criticism. It is really pointless and even unkind to give criticism that is of a purely negative nature, yet it’s not that uncommon for people to blurt such things out. If you have people like that around you, don’t listen and don’t keep them around. What you need are people that support you. They don’t always have to agree and they may not like something you’ve made but if they can tell you why and give suggestions, they are the ones that will help lift you and your work.

It also reminded me of the theme of the upcoming Synergy 3–Higher Ground. I can’t wait for this show. Being around the enthusiasm and creativity of so many dedicated polymer artists … talk about lifting one up! If you can manage it, you really should try to make it. It only happens every two years, so it will be your last chance to be among so many kindred souls for another couple years. Check out the details on the IPCA website.

 

 

Dear Crafters …

August 19, 2012

 

Anonymous note from one crafter to the world of crafters.

I don’t think there’s anything I need to add except  … Amen to that!

Wisdom from Warhol!

July 8, 2012

A little food for thought on this Sunday –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get that art critic off your back and make what feels right to you.

Encouraging Constructive Criticism

June 1, 2012

Yesterday I posted observations about an organically inspired necklace. Beautifully done, it still had room for improvement and I mentioned my thoughts on that. It felt rather odd to do so. Our community doesn’t really spend a lot of time talking about the missed opportunities in our art work. Usually we praise (and usually deservedly so) the work of our fellow artists which certainly helps bolster confidence and enthusiasm in the artist. But how much does it help them improve their work?

A week or so ago I had a great Skype conversation with Christine Dumont of Voila (see the interview/article on Voila in our latest magazine issue). One of the very unique things about her site is that members get constructive feedback on work they submit in their gallery. Much of the Voila concept is built around ways to help polymer artists improve their work, not just receive confirmation that they are going in the right direction. I think this is a concept we all need to embrace further.

The hard part of with working more constructive feedback into our conversations is that most of us have not been through the training and educational experience of art school or other exposure to critical commentary on our heartfelt work. But in an artistic and educational environment, constructive criticism is a major part of the learning process. Not only does it help to hear other people’s opinions and ideas about how to improve what you do, but honing a critical eye through observing the work of others can help you more readily see ways of improving yours.

I would certainly love to see more of this kind of exchange in the community.  Do you think you have a thick enough skin to hear people express what might be done to improve your work so you can learn and grow your artistic skills from it? And can you give others helpful and supportive advice on opportunities you find in their work? If so, perhaps try including small suggestions in your conversations about other artists’ work. And try Voila if you haven’t already done so.

Organic Cohesiveness

Nature inspires the art of many of us but how often can you say the entire piece reflects the aesthetics of Mother Nature?

This piece by Beatriz Cominatto is striking not only because of its unexpected and yet still elegant choice of forms for a necklace but because there is no true break from organic construction anywhere along the piece. We are looking at vines twisting down to mature open pods presenting their treasures. From the focal forms all the way around the neckband the piece reflects the shapes and organization of nature.

There are, however, minor breaks from authentic organic here–one that really makes the piece and one that is a departure that could be seen as a missed opportunity.

First the interior of the pods and seeds are metallic–this isn’t a natural version of seed pods but it works because it puts emphasis on the ‘treasure’ aspect of the organic forms, mixing our sense of what treasure is with what nature holds as its most precious gifts. This juxtaposition is what takes this form being just a direct translation of seed pods into something with instilled meaning and added beauty.

The other break from nature is in how the vines are twisted. They are very uniform. This is not normal in nature–not unheard of but not as organic as we usually encounter. A slight variation in the plaiting of the vine forms would have added to the organic theme and interest of the piece. I think it can be helpful to stop before completing a piece and ask if it can be pushed just a little and in this case, it probably could have been. The trick is to know when to stop pushing it. And for this piece, its final form is actually a decent stopping point.

What do you think? And how do you feel about a blog post that both praises and presents constructive criticism of a piece like this?

Beatriz Cominatto hails from São Paulo, Brasil. You can find more of her work on her Flickr page and her website.

The Criticism We Need

March 17, 2013
Posted in , ,

courage,criticism,critique,life,quotes,freiheit-10f4778fb3d5c937dcc1a566b206e2a3_h

A large part of the conversation this week at Synergy had to do with our avoidance of constructive criticism. The consensus was unanimous – criticism is necessary to our growth and improvement as artists and community, but the hurdles we have to overcome to change a culture of “Like” into a supportive culture of thoughtful examination are huge. According to surveys conducted for this convention, the vast majority of polymer artists create because it is a source of enjoyment, not because they are trying to make a living off of it or get into galleries or museums. With such a base and the pervasive nature of our internet dependent community, it will be difficult for us to get even a fraction of our folks into a habit of giving and graciously accepting criticism of our artwork.

However, avoiding criticism does reduce the effectiveness of our efforts to grow the polymer image from hobbyist craft medium, to a serious fine art form. More so, we still need our hobbyists, and the criticism is not going to be – and should not be – an integral part of their process. Sometimes we should just enjoy the process of creating. But for the serious artists in our community, criticism needs to be seen as essential and, someday, common. Because the inverse of the quote above is true … what we do will mean next to nothing if we avoid criticism and the opportunity to improve our visual communication with the world we present our work to.

Okay … I got all kinds of serious. Perhaps its because last night was so not serious. Our closing banquet was fraught with silliness, innuendo, and wonderfully warm camaraderie. Our sides and faces hurt from laughing but the conviviality assisted the auction raising efforts. I don’t have the numbers, but I hear we raised a record amount to help the IPCA continue its efforts and changes we are hearing about.

Now off to the American Craft Council show to see what else is going on in the craft world.

Read More

Higher Grounds

January 20, 2013
Posted in

copy-quote

This quote brought two thoughts to mind. First, there has been a bit of chat on several fronts lately about criticism. It is really pointless and even unkind to give criticism that is of a purely negative nature, yet it’s not that uncommon for people to blurt such things out. If you have people like that around you, don’t listen and don’t keep them around. What you need are people that support you. They don’t always have to agree and they may not like something you’ve made but if they can tell you why and give suggestions, they are the ones that will help lift you and your work.

It also reminded me of the theme of the upcoming Synergy 3–Higher Ground. I can’t wait for this show. Being around the enthusiasm and creativity of so many dedicated polymer artists … talk about lifting one up! If you can manage it, you really should try to make it. It only happens every two years, so it will be your last chance to be among so many kindred souls for another couple years. Check out the details on the IPCA website.

 

 

Read More

Dear Crafters …

August 19, 2012
Posted in

 

Anonymous note from one crafter to the world of crafters.

I don’t think there’s anything I need to add except  … Amen to that!

Read More

Wisdom from Warhol!

July 8, 2012
Posted in

A little food for thought on this Sunday –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get that art critic off your back and make what feels right to you.

Read More

Encouraging Constructive Criticism

June 1, 2012
Posted in

Yesterday I posted observations about an organically inspired necklace. Beautifully done, it still had room for improvement and I mentioned my thoughts on that. It felt rather odd to do so. Our community doesn’t really spend a lot of time talking about the missed opportunities in our art work. Usually we praise (and usually deservedly so) the work of our fellow artists which certainly helps bolster confidence and enthusiasm in the artist. But how much does it help them improve their work?

A week or so ago I had a great Skype conversation with Christine Dumont of Voila (see the interview/article on Voila in our latest magazine issue). One of the very unique things about her site is that members get constructive feedback on work they submit in their gallery. Much of the Voila concept is built around ways to help polymer artists improve their work, not just receive confirmation that they are going in the right direction. I think this is a concept we all need to embrace further.

The hard part of with working more constructive feedback into our conversations is that most of us have not been through the training and educational experience of art school or other exposure to critical commentary on our heartfelt work. But in an artistic and educational environment, constructive criticism is a major part of the learning process. Not only does it help to hear other people’s opinions and ideas about how to improve what you do, but honing a critical eye through observing the work of others can help you more readily see ways of improving yours.

I would certainly love to see more of this kind of exchange in the community.  Do you think you have a thick enough skin to hear people express what might be done to improve your work so you can learn and grow your artistic skills from it? And can you give others helpful and supportive advice on opportunities you find in their work? If so, perhaps try including small suggestions in your conversations about other artists’ work. And try Voila if you haven’t already done so.

Read More

Organic Cohesiveness

May 31, 2012
Posted in ,

Nature inspires the art of many of us but how often can you say the entire piece reflects the aesthetics of Mother Nature?

This piece by Beatriz Cominatto is striking not only because of its unexpected and yet still elegant choice of forms for a necklace but because there is no true break from organic construction anywhere along the piece. We are looking at vines twisting down to mature open pods presenting their treasures. From the focal forms all the way around the neckband the piece reflects the shapes and organization of nature.

There are, however, minor breaks from authentic organic here–one that really makes the piece and one that is a departure that could be seen as a missed opportunity.

First the interior of the pods and seeds are metallic–this isn’t a natural version of seed pods but it works because it puts emphasis on the ‘treasure’ aspect of the organic forms, mixing our sense of what treasure is with what nature holds as its most precious gifts. This juxtaposition is what takes this form being just a direct translation of seed pods into something with instilled meaning and added beauty.

The other break from nature is in how the vines are twisted. They are very uniform. This is not normal in nature–not unheard of but not as organic as we usually encounter. A slight variation in the plaiting of the vine forms would have added to the organic theme and interest of the piece. I think it can be helpful to stop before completing a piece and ask if it can be pushed just a little and in this case, it probably could have been. The trick is to know when to stop pushing it. And for this piece, its final form is actually a decent stopping point.

What do you think? And how do you feel about a blog post that both praises and presents constructive criticism of a piece like this?

Beatriz Cominatto hails from São Paulo, Brasil. You can find more of her work on her Flickr page and her website.

Read More
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