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I went to a very interesting program at the Hyde Park Art Center last night. Called "Open Crit", it gives four artists who are willing to put their egos on the line the opportunity to have their work critiqued by the facilitator (photographer Dawoud Bey) and a curator or gallerist or someone else from the art world (last night it was Nathan Mason from the Chicago Cultural Center).
Each artist was alloted 30 minutes. They had prepared statements about their work, and were given a few minutes to flesh that out, after which Bey and Mason did an initial critique. The audience was then invited to participate. Obviously, feedback is important to an artist, but to do it in that context and with people you don't know and haven't asked takes a lot of guts! Of course, the attendees were an interested and engaged audience, and the comments were thoughtful and focused, even when negative, but still!
This is the second Open Crit program they've done, and I would certainly go back. I think that I learned a lot, too.
Each artist was alloted 30 minutes. They had prepared statements about their work, and were given a few minutes to flesh that out, after which Bey and Mason did an initial critique. The audience was then invited to participate. Obviously, feedback is important to an artist, but to do it in that context and with people you don't know and haven't asked takes a lot of guts! Of course, the attendees were an interested and engaged audience, and the comments were thoughtful and focused, even when negative, but still!
This is the second Open Crit program they've done, and I would certainly go back. I think that I learned a lot, too.
