QotW:Are you more critical of your own work than the work of others?

[Pres]

A few weeks ago, @Bam2015 placed a question in the QotW pool.  She wonders if folks more critical of their own work than they are of others? I am not happy with minor imperfections in my work that I probably wouldn't notice in the work of others. 

We have had several discussions of this issue in different forms over the years included in discussions about seconds, production flaws and other areas. Personally, I find myself particularly critical of flaws that some may overlook, and at the same time I look at some pieces I have made and find areas I would assume others might find as imperfect, but I find exciting! I have a mug, that has a really dark crescent of color breaking through layers of lighter glaze. No crawling, or running, clean edges but the contrast really works on this particular form. So for myself, I won't put up with cracks of any sort, important logos that get puddled with glaze, rough lips or bottoms, crawling, shivering or other glaze imperfections. I like my forms to have smooth curves and transitions unless interrupted by an accent break. I could go deeper but needless to say rejects can be not only functional but aesthetic.

Personally, I hold myself to a high standard, and may give others a little leeway in Craftsmanship and Design. I believe part of that comes from being a teacher, , , can you imagine what reaction would come on at having a crack in a seam from a demonstration would bring on from the students.  I always finished demonstrations to allow students to view the finished item. Lids had to fit, forms to be pleasant, no cracks, no glaze imperfections. . . . show quality. 

QotW:Are you more critical of your own work than the work  of others?

best,

Pres 

[Roberta12]

yes

 

[Bill Kielb]

Yep, I know the intended look and all the flaws.

[GEP]

Absolutely. I see things as glaring flaws that other people don’t even see.

I also have seen so much of my own work that I often don’t appreciate some of its better qualities anymore, because they have become mundane to me. It takes other people (usually customers at shows) to point them out to me, and then I say “oh wow, thanks!” 

[JohnnyK]

Nope...I have my wife to do that for me!

[Kelly in AK]

To a degree. Crappy work is just that, not worth much time to dig in and explore pieces that are an open book. Occasionally I come across work so genuine and honest made with barely developed skills and knowledge. Those change my brain. They engage a different area of the “aesthetic critical” system in there. On the other hand, sometimes I invoke very high standards (which only I am privy to). I was at a studio sale of a potter I admire, and carefully picked out a pitcher among several there. Pitchers are a form I see as an ultimate challenge in pottery. For many it’s a teapot and all their interrelated parts, but for me, it’s a pitcher. It’ll be the one thing out of my budget I’ll buy anyway.

Anyway there was one up high on a shelf, just out of reach. It was exquisite. Form, handle, spout, foot, so naturally perfect it could have sprung from the ground. Gorgeous flashing, and that beautiful metallic luster that sometimes happens in woodfire with porcelain or shino. Decoration and balance were perfect. I pointed and said, “What about that one?”

“Oh, I could tell you all the things wrong with that pot. You don’t want it.” She replied. Understood and respected.

That all said, it’s harder to accept mistakes in my work than in most other’s.

[Mark C.]

On 8/4/2024 at 6:31 PM, GEP said:

Absolutely. I see things as glaring flaws that other people don’t even see.

I also have seen so much of my own work that I often don’t appreciate some of its better qualities anymore, because they have become mundane to me. It takes other people (usually customers at shows) to point them out to me, and then I say “oh wow, thanks!” 

same here on all counts

[Denice]

I am past the stage of being upset my minor imperfections,  I can dislike a pot now on many different levels.   Speaking of level if a piece is slightly out of level  it goes into the try to fix pile.  If the glaze is on the dull side I will throw it in the kiln.   My worse fault is disliking a pot  because the pot is bottom heavy,  or the design and glaze don't work well together.  These are the ones I give to friends and neighbors, I usually have a few sitting on a shelf in my studio.  I welcome them to take a piece from the shelf.  They usually rush over and pick one up and  fuss over it,  I usually ask them what they like about it.   I really want to know because it is a pot I really dislike.   I have learned from giving away this work that people can have very different taste even when it something small like a vase.   I have quit throwing away work and trying to be more open .    Denic

[Hyn Patty]

Absolutely.  It drives me batty  if I don't get something perfect.  I'll try and make it perfect until I either get it just right, or get tired of working on it, or ruin it.  Thankfully the latter almost never happens but there's a chance I'll overdue it.  I'm so bad about it that I often go back and REDO older pieces just to bring them up to my current skill level if it's something I still own.  I can let some things slide if I must.  Everything comes to a point where I simply must stop and move onto something else but that doesn't mean it won't bug me forever after.

I do have a habit of looking at someone else's work and thinking about how I'd do it differently, or how it could be better.  But that's just because I also teach and I am always trying to offer ways to help my students improve their own work.  Without them necessarily copying my own style.  That said however, I really like seeing pieces that aren't done the same way as I would do them.  Variety is good and being able to recognize another artist's work through their choice of color or style is what keeps things interesting!

Little things that are sloppy though, that could have been done better, always jump out at me.  In my work or someone else's.  But only if it wasn't intentional.  Even in my very selective niche of equine art ceramics, realism isn't always the goal.  We also do some decorative glazing where it's just basic fun with ceramics and far less restrictive.  Always more to learn, or new things to try, even with my own work.

[Hulk]

Yes. No. I don't know.

Good question. Thought about it some, err, a lot, in regard to pottery and also several other things...
If I had to decide, then, ok, my critical faculties toward pottery are at least a bit dynamic - which doesn't answer.

Perhaps it's natural to be more critical about things that we know more about, things we care about, and as knowledge, experience, caring (love!), skills ...grow and change, so does the critical outlook.

Exposure to a variety of others' work, not much of that for me lately, I'm going to go cruise some pottery!
It takes time to know a pot though, even those that aren't really meant to be touched.

Seeing others working is more where "it's at" - my opinion.

Regarding flaws, generally I'm looking harder/closer at my own work, however, given time and opportunity, I'm inspecting others' work just as closely.

Does the pot work? From there, does it sing?

[Hyn Patty]

I think it's worth adding that if you are /new/ to doing it, you really should work at NOT being too critical at first.  I find my students are scared to death of messing things up and failing.  And yet we learn so much from making mistakes!   The biggest issue for people starting out is being too critical and not just DOING IT.  Get over FEAR.  Do it anyway and not worry if it's not perfect. 

So it' a two edged sword.  Being critical of our own work is good to push ourselves to get better and better, and yet at the same time finding that sweet spot where you can be happy with what you are doing is also really important.  I encourage them to let things slide a bit more when you are new at it.  There will be time for fussiness or fixing things later.  Get the basics down first and don't let the little stuff trip you up and keep you from making work!

Edited August 13 by Hyn Patty
Typo Queen!

[Kelly in AK]

On 8/13/2024 at 9:56 AM, Hyn Patty said:

you really should work at NOT being too critical at first

Emphatically agree!!! (I’m not a fan of triple exclamation points, but it’s warranted here) Clay gives us uncritical dispassionate feedback without exception. Our joy and despair tend to be projections of ourselves. I love that I can count on clay to be honest with me, haha! 

I made a mistake many years ago of explaining to beginners the catharsis that comes from smashing a pot that you’ve put a lot of time and effort into but just isn’t working out. Stop trying to save it, make the next one. We know this drill. That’s its own lesson, but it has a time and place and it’s not exactly where to start.

The next thing I knew students were destroying everything before it even had a chance. It caught me off guard, I had to put the brakes on “cathartic experience” and focus on “finishing the process” and “accepting where you and the clay are in this moment.” Very esoteric stuff, but I couldn’t believe how ready they were to smash it all up. The experience made me reflect on my own work. I find great potency in the object that is the best clay and I can do together right now. The idea helps me get over myself and just make work. 

[Pres]

When teaching HS, I would often cut demos in half to allow the students to see the interior. They aghast that I had cut the pot apart, but I explained to them that it was a demonstration of throwing not an exercise of making and that if I could throw the form once for demo it was not much of an effort to throw it again for keeping.  There were times that I would have a piece come out of the kiln with some flaw, that I would fix in some manner letting students see it. If it couldn't be fixed I would drop it, that really shook them up, but I would tell them it wasn't right and I did not want to keep something around with a major flaw.  Never had mass destruction of their pots. . but can see where they may become like a maddened crowd destroying everything!

 

best,

Pres

[Hulk]

"Yes. No. I don't know."
Still!

...having thought 'bout this more*, depends on context, purpose/intent, experience/background, etc.
I just don't have a binary yes/no on this one. In general, I'm more critical of my own work, however, the critical "engine" can be tuned throughout its range for anyone's work.

...this afternoon in the Studio, "Hah!" said I, daydreaming of a shared Studio situation, where others' work would (once again) be right in front of me! The familiarity would lend itself to studied critique, no doubt, in all directions.

*The "thinking about it" part, that's right up there in what keeps me coming back to this Forum.

Edited August 18 by Hulk
keep right on thinkin' 'bout it then

[Chilly]

On 8/4/2024 at 8:45 PM, Pres said:

Are you more critical of your own work than the work  of others

No. 

My own work is mine, it is what it is.  It's made to the best of my ability, for me.  I'v made, and use mugs and bowls, spoon rests, trinket trays, plant pots, plant saucers.  None of which are as perfect as I would expect bought items to be.

The only faults I will not tolerate in my own work are glazes that are ugly or rough, and items that leak that should hold water.  Although I do have a couple of vases that have a "liner" of some sort placed in them to hold water.  The attached is not one of my faulty vases, but shows how useful liners can be.

[Pres]

Took  me a Minute, but now I see. . . @Chilly.liners really do have a place in good pottery!

 

 

best,

Pres