Critique: Helpful or Hurtful

Recently I had the opportunity to participate in an on-line critique process.  I chose this work to have reviewed as I put an awful lot of effort into it and yet, have had it rejected from a few calls.  Since the figures are hand embroidered and the background is painted/printed/dyed I did wonder if it was this contrast that created a disconnect for the viewer.  

The viewers could only see the work from a distance on their screens but this vantage point brought out interesting points.  Although all comments were positive about the figures, there was much critical commentary about the background.  It wasn't what I expected.  Many didn't understand that the red painted shape was an apple, but even if it is, it was suggested that it is too close to the figures and out of scale.  

other comments included:

• The dark spot over their heads was confusing
• they seem to be floating over the background rather than IN the scenery
• the little strip of blue sky at the top maybe unnecessary

Since I worked on the figures for so long I am willing to cut them out and re-create a new background for them.  That is definitely on my 'to-do' list.

However I wondered if you would be interested in weighing in on this critique, not to mention critiques in general.  I had thought that I was lucky to have been chosen by SAQA for this opportunity.  But some people have let me know that I was very brave to do this and they wouldn't be able to expose their work to strangers in this way.  What do you think?  Critique: helpful or hurtful?

 

self portrait

Self Portrait

20 inches wide by 17 inches high including frame

Detail

This work is entirely hand embroidered with chain stitch.  

The embroidery was stitched onto hand dyed cotton.

Second Detail

This work was based on this photograph taken of me, by a very good friend, a very long time ago.  Recently, our paths crossed again, and he gifted me this photo that he had saved all these years. He reminded me that he was an avid amateur photographer at the time, and even did the developing himself.  I do wonder why he kept this photo of me for over 30 years. I have my theories, and you can have yours, but I can suggest that the moment he caught does seem quite intimate.

Although the hand embroidery was extremely time consuming and labour intensive, I do find it is helpful for settling the mind and soothing the spirit.

 

The Fallen; redux

 

Although I generally don't re-post my work, I had promised to re-post the fallen when the photograph was properly taken.  Thanks go out to Sylvia Galbraith (who is an amazing photographer).  She seems to really understand what it takes to photograph fibre.  She is also an amazing landscape photographer.

So, here is "The Fallen" again, represented in the actual colours it is in 'real life'.

This is the detail shot that Sylvia took.  The stitching on the leaves was all done by hand, generally what would be understood as seed stitch, but there are also other embroidery stitches.  The arking lines on the background fabric are free motion stitches quilting through the layers of fabric.