In light of my current interests in better understanding the role of landscape architecture at UVa as well as its broader relationship to architecture in general, my friend Anne invited my to be a part of her mid-program review today. Promoting further guise, she suggested I provide any critical commentary on the body of work presented and general directions and tendencies within her work. Beyond the discomfort of being in a position of educational inferiority I realized that we as students do not spend enough time commenting on each others work. Although certain that casual comments on likes and dislikes of peers work are ever present I feel that we are not forthcoming and receptive enough to thoughtful critiques from students, which often have just as much value as those suggested from places of greater perceived authority. Perhaps this is particular to UVa, or simply to my studio but I feel that the comments I receive from my friends are typically well-placed and insightful... but it needs to go beyond my friends.
thanks Anne (for the presentation and (continuing) discussion) 
5 Comments
that's a good topic you bring up ryan. i feel the same way about my school. it seems that students who do comment and critique other students work are looked upon as being dicks or kiss asses. i don't know if that's the case at your school, but it is at mine.
student and peer critiquing is probably a topic worthy of its own thread. i have also rarely been in studios where people have comfortably critiqued each others projects. outside of close friends, it can seem akward and actually be pretty challenging to actually be of help. i think that the competitive nature of the studio is what prevents this from happening.
in my final semester of undergrad i am taking a photography class in the art department where our major projects are critiqued in a jury setting by all of the students in the class. it would be interesting to attempt to have an architecture jury this way.
juan - I think it has alot to do with how its done.
in undergrad it was customary to have one student - from the class among the critics, and they were given as much regard as the others. His work was inversely critiqued by the person who felt cheated the most - just violent great!!!
I enjoyed participating in critiques during school. I was one of the only students who did so now that I remember.... I didn't think anything of it at the time. What I had to say was as intelligent and often more so than that of the juries. The juries are usually not that thoughtful - they always went off somewhere on a tangent and it usually had more to do with themselves than the project on the wall. I was not a butt-kisser, I guess I was a dick. cool.
I have found over the past term that project has been furthered tremendously by the insightful comments of my classmates. I have found it lacking in previous studios. Due to unfortunate circumstance of mediocre prof. we have taken it upon ourselves to actively find fellow students or teachers willing to take time to comment of work. This has opened my eyes to many different views and ideas and had brought my work to a new level. Organizing group crits with fellow students outside of studio has allowed not only my studio project to progress, but I have also learned how to give feedback in a positive and constructive manner.
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