One of the greatest aspects of going to art school, but also one of the most intimidating, is the critique. I've experienced my fair share of both good and bad critiques in the last four years. While I used to dread "judgment day," critiques have come to be something I look forward to. This may be because I'm much more confident in the art that I'm making now, but also because I am more versed in critique etiquette than I was when I first arrived here. In the introduction to, The Critique Handbook, the author stresses the importance of distancing yourself enough from your work to be able to constructively dissect what is working and what isn't working. I couldn't agree more. A critique is more of a time to listen to how others respond to your work rather than to defend a singular viewpoint. I also liked how the author called it a "freeze frame in studio practice." Now that I'm working on my own artistic voice rather than short technical assignments, critiques are by no means the end. Usually critiques are progress reports that allow you to figure out how to move forward to make your work stronger.
Having the right dynamic is essential to a good critique. Personally, I favor more intimate critique settings because they can operate like conversations. With fewer people, a give and take can happen between the artist and viewers more so than a bigger group where it's easier to get off topic. I'm able to be more active and ask questions I want answered rather than reactive to what's being said. I can also ask why a viewer drew a particular conclusion. Too many people with too many interpretations can become overwhelming and I feel less in control. While I value the feedback from others, at the end of the critique you only get out as much as you put into it yourself. Coming unprepared, timid or closed minded won't help you better your work no matter how good the group critiquing it is.
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