On Art Criticism

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

“Criticism is easy, art is difficult.”
- Destouches

Ann and I both attended the same well-regarded art institute for a few years before expanding our educations at other institutions. It was at that noted art school that we first experienced a peculiar style of art critique that we both felt was mis-guided, if not downright harmful. The first year art students were taught in several very large groups in a warehouse-style building, where we would also work on our projects together. This aspect of the experience was fun and productive, and helped to cultivate in us the feeling that art-making was an important activity, worthy of serious hard work. Our professors encouraged us to explore our ideas further than we ever had before, even to the brink of destruction, whence we could take one step back and have something to say of value. We were all fresh out of high school, and our capacity to make effective critical judgements about the depth …