Art Critics

[Yink]

Link to original post: [drupal=2827]Art Critics [/drupal]



I had a Studio Art presentation the other day. This is how it all went down:

I had to make a tool (I was given a Hammer) and I was told I had to completely remake it out of paper. No using glue or tape. I either had to sew the paper together or make tabs and weave the paper together. It had to be the exact dimensions of the tool as well. Not only that, I'd have to DRAW the patters on a paper and make them well composed drawings.

Next, after that part, I had to then, using the pattern, create something called a "Space Container". (A space container is literally a "container of space" WTF.) It had to look very elegant and stuff like that. I made one and then you have to DRAW THAT TOO. Draw it and compose it on paper, and then cut it down. So you start off with the whole container, then you slice part of that off and draw the next part, etc.

After doing this project for a total of 6 weeks, we presented the other day. I worked my butt off to make this project as amazing as I could, spending many all-nighters at the Design College.

Then, the critics told all of my class that none of ours were very interesting and original, my professor of course only listened to them and gave no one an A.

Basically, I wonder how you grade art based on critics like that. Some projects were VERY well done, yet my professor still gave them HORRIBLE grades. How can you look at a project and say, "Oh I hate it." and then that is what the professor goes by to grade?

I think the way art is critiqued is really opinional. One person says one bad thing about it, and even if she (my professor) likes it she takes the side of the critic.

Yep.

 

[CRASHiC]

inb4artisunmeasurable

Now, if they complained about something tangible, something as an art teacher I would grade someone on (originality) then I say that the teacher basing her grade on their claims of a lack of originality is a right. If it was simply, "We don't like this" it would be different, but they made a constructive comment that no one thought outside the box and challenged themselves artistically.

 

[Yink]

inb4artisunmeasurable

Now, if they complained about something tangible, something as an art teacher I would grade someone on (originality) then I say that the teacher basing her grade on their claims of a lack of originality is a right. If it was simply, "We don't like this" it would be different, but they made a constructive comment that no one thought outside the box and challenged themselves artistically.

That's pure crap though. The space containers we made were original BECAUSE you had to make it out of pieces of the tool pattern. Every single one WAS original.

I know Art is very demanding on fresh ideas but some of the stuff I saw was amazing, and the Professor liked it. But the second the critics didn't she automatically gave us terrible grades.

 

[CRASHiC]

How can you be sure though? Perhaps she thought you guys did really well, but also would have scored low for creativity.

And even then, are you complaining that your art was graded on opinion, or on an opinion that didn't like your work? You seem fine with getting a good grade if your teacher likes your work, regardless of your quality.

 

[Liquid Gen]

Art is a very subjective area by its very nature, and is one reason I tend to stay away from the class myself (that and I suck at any artistic medium).

 

[Yink]

How can you be sure though? Perhaps she thought you guys did really well, but also would have scored low for creativity.

And even then, are you complaining that your art was graded on opinion, or on an opinion that didn't like your work? You seem fine with getting a good grade if your teacher likes your work, regardless of your quality.

Think of it like this.

We've had 2 projects before this, with critics at each. On the second project the critics didn't like our work, and honestly the work we did wasn't that...great, it was like everyone was slacking. She told us that "just because the critic doesn't like it, doesn't mean I'll hurt your grades for it." .

But this time around, she told us she liked them and when the critics didn't she just used the critics.

How does that work? She just changes it up?

I'm not so much complaining that my artwork is graded on opinion (which it always is) but more the fact that she is not truthful to what she says. If I did a bad job then I deserve a bad grade. But there were people who did ridiculously good jobs who got terrible grades.

EDIT: I know what you are saying CRASHiC, I guess I'm just frustrated that my teacher isn't being as true to her word as she said before.

 

[Man of Popsicle]

Art class can really only be graded on effort and the students feeling of the piece, but that can't happen.

 

[bobson]

This is why projects for art classes are usually graded on worthless irrelevant things like what tools you used rather than the actual merit of the piece.

 

[deepseadiva]

Next, after that part, I had to then, using the pattern, create something called a "Space Container". (A space container is literally a "container of space" WTF.)

lawl

I'm an art student too and I can relate - somewhat.

At most, my studio class teacher has everyone display their art and everyone votes on their top three. The three with the most votes get automatic A's, despite anything the teacher would otherwise say.

Your professor's approach sounds really unfair. A critic decides your grade...? It's a really non-objective way to measure such things. But I'm assuming it's supposed to be her method of showing you how it's done in "the real world". The art world is vicious and unfair, and I suppose that's how she gets to hide behind this hideous grading system. >___>

Who are these "critics" by the way?

 

[SkylerOcon]

Your professor is an enormous, opinonless toolbag.

So don't take it as a surprise if in the future, if he (she?) still relies on the opinion of critics to judge art. Conform quickly to what the critics view as great art, so you can be original by being the same.

 

[Teran]

This is why qualifications in art mean nothing to me, and I'd never dream of getting a degree in an artsy subject.

 

[Sucumbio]

Sorry to hear that, Yink.

But I'm assuming it's supposed to be her method of showing you how it's done in "the real world".

This.

Conform quickly to what the critics view as great art, so you can be original by being the same.

And this.

It sucks, but having several close friends who have graduated top art schools, and now work in the field, you have to be prepared to get shot down OVER and OVER and OVER again, regardless of how much work you put into it, or how well you thought you did, or even your peers think you did.

One way to teach this lesson (albeit a horrible lesson to teach) is to make your students do an incredibly difficult assignment, and then throw it in the trash can. For no other reason, than to make you feel an inch tall.

Also it's to prepare you for the humdrum life of being a -professional- artist. The best artists are the ones who expect to make NO money from their work. They have a gift, for sure... but they also have no expectations, other than to be able to share their gift with others, ultimately for free. Now if an Art Gallery owner wants to buy them, and re-sell them for oodles more, ok, the artist might allow that, so they can afford more art supplies, a studio to do their work in, etc etc etc.

I wouldn't be surprised if the art critics themselves came in with an agenda to shoot down anything anyone did, simply to teach this lesson. This is a lesson in humility.

Now another possibility is that the assignment was too ... abstract for the class to achieve a good understanding of, and so the results did not "impress" the critics. But that's actually irrelevant. Her teaching method on this, IS in fact a bad choice, because most students won't appreciate her flip-flopping. It's possible she went this way b/c the other way wasn't working. She can't coddle you "oh, good effort, I may not like it but here's an A for the effort," if all this results in is MORE mediocre work. She may have decided that this method was better, in that it'll force your class to concentrate harder, work even harder.

Then again, she could have just been PMS'ing, lol. Sometimes chicks is *****es, and if they're in a position of power, they definitely will use that to **** on everything in sight. And then some.

You sound like you have lots of electives... World Cultures, Art classes... what is your major?? Anyway don't lose confidence, one bad review, one bad critic, one bad class even, can't decide if you've got talent. That decision really resides within you and you alone. Anyone else that may agree that you're good, is only reflecting off of what YOU project, nothing more, nothing less.

 

[Yink]

lawl

I'm an art student too and I can relate - somewhat.

At most, my studio class teacher has everyone display their art and everyone votes on their top three. The three with the most votes get automatic A's, despite anything the teacher would otherwise say.

Your professor's approach sounds really unfair. A critic decides your grade...? It's a really non-objective way to measure such things. But I'm assuming it's supposed to be her method of showing you how it's done in "the real world". The art world is vicious and unfair, and I suppose that's how she gets to hide behind this hideous grading system. >___>

Who are these "critics" by the way?

Well, one of them was a Physics professor (Idk why she chose that) and another was an Architect (which I admire because this project is based on Architecture).

@Sucumbio: Lol, Art is my major (Graphic Design and Digital) so this is in no way an elective. It is Design Studio 102. It's worth 4 credits.