Ep. 029 Artist Critiques - The lighter side of Opinion vs Expertise - a podcast by Sonya Paz

Episode 029

What to expect if you attend an art critique. 

Greetings everyone, I am Sonya Paz your professional artist, business person, entrepreneur and podcaster! I have been doing been in this art business a loooong time and today we are talking about art critiques, a quick insight on both ends of the spectrum, getting your work art critiqued and critiquing others artwork.

You might ask, if I have I ever been part of the artist critique and have had my work reviewed by someone like this? Yes, I have volunteered my art to be part of a critique many many moons ago. It was an education experience from all levels.

If you have an opportunity to be part of a critique where a local artist museum or gallery is hosting an artist critique it might be an interesting insight to go and get your work critiqued. If you choose not to go for yourself perhaps attend and just observe and just see what it is like. Or go with a friend who's an artist and sit in during the process if you don't feel that this is for you at this time. But I say go for it, jump in with both both feet, it's just opinion and insight, it's always good to get a perspectives of someone that's not emotionally attached to you or your work. 

Early in my art career there was a local museum that was offering critiques for a very small fee, I believe it was $10. A well-known art curator had about a dozen artist attend the critique with their work (The work was a variety of paintings, watercolor, sculpture, 3-D, jewelry etc.) and he offered a very kind and positive critique. It was not his mission or intention to bash the art and it was not his mission to criticize, he didn't demean the Artists and it was in a group setting with their peers. 

The entire critique lasted a couple of hours and he went through each person's artwork asked some questions about the work, valued questions like; "what it meant to you?", "what was your state of mind when creating it?", and "what was inspiring?" etc. He then gently deconstructed the work in a way that was positive and encouraging.

I will admit that in the late 90s when my work was really finding it's voice with a cross of cubism and modern American pop art I felt somewhat intimidated by the critique because everyone's artwork that was being presented at this session was very serious, lifelike drawings, plein air painting's, still life's etc. there wasn't a lot of abstract works that was being presented was, at the time I remember feeling that the works that were being critiqued were “serious art". LOL

A couple of years later there was another critique in downtown San Jose area and that I thought I would attend. With some other art friends of mine, and I don't want to say that I attended for fun but I attended just to see the process in a different light. 

I'm not going to say that my art was ripped apart, torn up, chewed up and spit out at me but I did find it interesting that the person that was doing the critique didn't ask the questions that I had been asked a couple years earlier,  those questions being for me to describe what I was feeling while creating the work, where the idea, concept or inspiration derived from, instead the woman was quite vocal and or confusion about my work and when I opened up my portfolio she practically gasp out loud with I'm not quite sure if it was a gasp of horror, or a shock of the colors, but it certainly was a reaction and it was a process that I made sure I paid attention to. I was just going to enjoy the ride….

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