Reading 3: Critique Handbook

      In the third reading there was a section that talked about a big struggle artists deal with. This is making cliché work. The article brought up the contradiction that we are expected to do something original yet constantly told to refer back to other artists’ works. As students we have even been told to go ahead and copy famous artists because now is the time that we will get away with it. Maybe we are told this to give us a boost in thinking about our own work. However, if something is redone others may see it as boring or an easy way out instead of coming up with your own idea. The article also questioned whether it would be better for artists to isolate themselves from past work to avoid being unoriginal. I don’t think that would work at all. Whether or not you’re aware of the work, it’s likely that you’re being repetitive in some way. So many different kinds of work have been created and will be redone over time. I don’t think this is a problem as long as the artist and the audience is aware that there is still originality in each piece of work. Whether it’s the artist’s train of thought, technical skills, or layout of the end result there is sure to be at least somewhat of a different approach taken to what seems like a clichéd work.