I joined an online art forum recently, and last week I met the Grand Jerkface of the site. This is the awful critique he gave a beginning painter such as himself.
"I say...what are you trying to prove? Sloppy painting doesn't a fine piece of art make. The oranges look like oranges only because they are painted orange and surrounding them with their compliment only makes them stand out as carelessly done."
Needless to say, this made my blood boil. How dare he, especially since the painting he was referring to was not half as bad as what his harsh negatives implied. In fact, I would say that the painting was similar to works we saw in a contemporary gallery last summer that were selling for nothing less than $1,200...(I remember because the 6x6" painting was this price).
Today my curiosity got the best of me again and I browsed the forum. One artist was criticizing another for unclear light source of a beautifully illuminated still-life, meanwhile the criticizing artist posted a work of their own, and it had no indication of light upon the surfaces of things. Go figure.
Of course we all have different goals, and different personal aesthetics. It's easy to see just how different with a quick browse upon Pinterest.com. So when it comes to answering questions and critiquing works of others, perhaps sometimes it's best to be open to what they are trying to accomplish first. It seems that many of the posts only serve as a slaughterhouse where people with their own narrow view of what art should look like use their own goals as cutlery for others' works.
Perhaps an online forum is not the best place for critiques.
If you want some entertainment and are thick-skinned or want suggestions on how to turn your donkey into a blue spaceship, then go for it. However, if you want a serious constructive critique, ask people who are familiar with your work and whose opinion you respect artistically.
"I say...what are you trying to prove? Sloppy painting doesn't a fine piece of art make. The oranges look like oranges only because they are painted orange and surrounding them with their compliment only makes them stand out as carelessly done."
Needless to say, this made my blood boil. How dare he, especially since the painting he was referring to was not half as bad as what his harsh negatives implied. In fact, I would say that the painting was similar to works we saw in a contemporary gallery last summer that were selling for nothing less than $1,200...(I remember because the 6x6" painting was this price).
Today my curiosity got the best of me again and I browsed the forum. One artist was criticizing another for unclear light source of a beautifully illuminated still-life, meanwhile the criticizing artist posted a work of their own, and it had no indication of light upon the surfaces of things. Go figure.
Of course we all have different goals, and different personal aesthetics. It's easy to see just how different with a quick browse upon Pinterest.com. So when it comes to answering questions and critiquing works of others, perhaps sometimes it's best to be open to what they are trying to accomplish first. It seems that many of the posts only serve as a slaughterhouse where people with their own narrow view of what art should look like use their own goals as cutlery for others' works.
Perhaps an online forum is not the best place for critiques.
If you want some entertainment and are thick-skinned or want suggestions on how to turn your donkey into a blue spaceship, then go for it. However, if you want a serious constructive critique, ask people who are familiar with your work and whose opinion you respect artistically.
2 comments:
Ah, I agree entirely! I believe that art is very much about the artist himself/herself. In fact, one cannot truly understand a work of art unless one understands the artist. I know much more about the artwork of some of my friends than a lot of other people will ever know about it because I know these friends very well and I was with them when they created the art. I experienced the intimacy of artwork - something that the casual viewer who does not know the artist will never fully comprehend no matter how long they analyze the art.
Thanks for posting, Jonathan! Of course, we do not always get such a backstage pass to certain works, but when we do, it can be fantastic for understanding more deeply...maybe that's why so many like Behind the Music and/or Pop Up Video...at least I do. :)
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