Critique

As I was readying my images for my photography mid-term critique, I read in the New York Times that my former professor Frederic Jameson had died. While these instances might seem unrelated for me there was a very real link. It was as a graduate student in literature at the University of California San Diego that I came to understand the concept of a critique.

The intensity of the critiques lead by the distinguished professors in the literature department were both unnerving and compelling—rooms full of strong convictions and fragile egos. Over time I came to appreciate the value of the critiques as I learned to craft my own arguments and to defend them before my professors and fellow classmates. By the time of my final oral exam, I felt confident still I was relieved when Jameson was the first to signal that I had passed.

Rose Quartz

Imagine my surprise when five years ago when I signed up for Photography 111, an introductory class at Santa Fe Community College, that there would be several critiques during the semester. Even more surprising was the level of sophisticated discussion among the students. Our instructor Marcel Perez set a high bar for the reviews of our work and most of his students were experienced photographers who relished the back and forth. By the end of the class my images might not have been as successful as many of my classmates, but my skill at a good critique had come back.

My Custom Hat

Now in my tenth semester at the college, I am a student in Sage Paisner's Major Projects class, and it brings me back to graduate school every time he leads a discussion. The other students are highly skilled photographers who are comfortable discussing their projects, asking thoughtful, sometime challenging questions, and giving constructive commentary. That's why I was hard at work on my major project photographs when I was briefly transported back to my student self at UCSD.

Las Mañanitas

My critique went well, my work generated a lively discussion and helped me see my project from other perspectives. That I have a lot of work to do before the final critique would be an understatement. But I know that I can count on Sage and the other photographers, including Jeff, to offer helpful commentary and advice. How lucky am I to be continually learning at this stage of my life? 

Images are details from my major project If These Clothes Could Talk .