Gillian Whittle on thu 1 jul 04
Hello all,
The "pain in the potter" thread has struck rather close to home. Though my
response is rather personal, I only had to think for a moment before I
decided to add my own voice to the conversation.
I guess I am the salesman. I have bipolar disorder (manic-depressive
illness) and have struggled with being too sensitive to criticism my whole
life. I took my first pottery course five years ago. As I became more
involved with clay and began entering pieces in group shows, I slowly became
accustomed to stepping back from my work to critique it. Two years ago I was
referred to a local Art Instruction Program through a local psychiatric
hospital. My instructor is a professional artist and teacher who has proven
to me time and time again that criticism does not need to be painful.
It's too bad that this fellow Canady wasn't a little more like her!
I am having my first solo show in September and am confident that I am
psychologically prepared for it. The salesman obviously was not. Venturing
into the public eye of the artistic world is a risky thing to do when you're
not up to it emotionally and psychologically. As much as we hate it, there
will always be people ready to tear us down. That saleman might have had
many good reviews, but only the bad one registered. That's the power of
criticism, and it's probably something we could all remember when critiquing
other artists's work.
Regards,
Gillian Whittle
Hope Tree Pottery
St. John's, Newfoundland
Canada
Malcolm Schosha on thu 1 jul 04
--- In clayart@yahoogroups.com, Gillian Whittle
wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> The "pain in the potter" thread has struck rather close to home.
Though my
> response is rather personal, I only had to think for a moment
before I
> decided to add my own voice to the conversation.
>
> I guess I am the salesman. I have bipolar disorder (manic-depressive
> illness) and have struggled with being too sensitive to criticism
my whole
> life. I took my first pottery course five years ago. As I became
more
> involved with clay and began entering pieces in group shows, I
slowly became
> accustomed to stepping back from my work to critique it. Two years
ago I was
> referred to a local Art Instruction Program through a local
psychiatric
> hospital. My instructor is a professional artist and teacher who
has proven
> to me time and time again that criticism does not need to be
painful.
> It's too bad that this fellow Canady wasn't a little more like her!
>
> I am having my first solo show in September and am confident that I
am
> psychologically prepared for it. The salesman obviously was not.
Venturing
> into the public eye of the artistic world is a risky thing to do
when you're
> not up to it emotionally and psychologically. As much as we hate
it, there
> will always be people ready to tear us down. That saleman might
have had
> many good reviews, but only the bad one registered. That's the
power of
> criticism, and it's probably something we could all remember when
critiquing
> other artists's work.
>
> Regards,
>
> Gillian Whittle
> Hope Tree Pottery
> St. John's, Newfoundland
> Canada
>
.............
Gillian,
I suspect that art criticism, as practiced by Canaday, has pretty
much ceased to exist. The world of the arts, including pottery, is
very changed.
Art teachers differ widely. Most, but not all, of my teachers in the
USA would would never be more harsh than they thought a student could
take. In Italy, it was different and the teachers there could be
brutal. They were not mean people, but criticism was dished out
rough. But I was a student in the 1960's, and I suppose things have
changed in both countries.
However, my youngest daughter, who was a French major in college, and
spent two years studying in France; says that criticism is much
rougher there than she ever saw here (and she went to what many
consider the top college in the US).
Gillian, to paraphrase the quote: LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE HAPPINESS OF
PURSUIT. May you have the best of luck and happiness as you pursue
your life goals.
Malcolm Schosha
| |
|
