Was reading about the release of ‘Bad Reviews’ (Aleksandra Mir and Tim Griffin) who’ve painstakingly brought together 150 artist’s worst reviews, prompting memory-lane moments where my own work was (quite rightly) excoriated by tutors and clients.
It happens a lot less now. As Mir observed, “anything negative (now) is associated with hate.”
Which is a real shame, but I guess that comes with much of what gets published (as a stand-in or catch-all for art or design) nowadays is likely first on social channels; and as Kevin Munger (political science professor at Penn State) observed, the art of creating anything now is increasingly ‘embodied’ - with the author becoming the subject matter or meme - “[The body is] so central” (on social.)
I guess that makes ‘criticism’ a much harder mode to navigate through. Sure, it’s super-easy to give a business an online shitposting, but would you do the same to someones face (virtually)?
But while the art of giving good criticism is a real emotional minefield, it does need giving.
I’m happy to take it, say your worst, but I think that I’ve had the advantage(!) of being taken down a peg or five in crits (at college and at work.)
Of course it hurts a bit at first, but boy does it make you a. More resilient and b. Even more determined to do more better work.
Next time me (or anyone) starts picking at what you do, it’s likely not hate (well, pretty much not that often.) It might be jealously. Or to could simply be what you need to hear, even if you don’t want to hear it.
Be kind, sure. But don’t pretend everything is ok when it really isn’t.
The book, which I’d love a copy of, isn’t being formally published, as the author’s couldn’t secure all the rights to use all the inclusions. So they’re only sending copies to the artist’s included. And encouraging them to copy and share it. How’s that for taking criticism literally?
