31. Critique

I took this photograph about 6 years ago and it hangs in my dining room. I am clearly ahead on my project requirement of one photo per day, so I can spend one posting on one of my favorite past images.

I decided to talk about it today because it was the focus of our dinner conversation. It all started when Abbey, our 7 year old, asked what I thought about her latest sketch of a cat. I replied that I particularly like the face, but that I thought the feet of the cat could be better rendered - they were kind of flat for feet. This of course started a heated battle, major disagreement, and ended in tears. The whole time I was trying to calm her down and have her listen to my comment. As an artist you have to have a tough skin. All viewers have opinions, some valid, some not so much. But you need to shut up and listen if you want to understand at what level your work is communicating. It is one of the hardest lessons to learn and not one that I expect Abbey to get for a while.

In order to make a point, I asked her what she thought of the above image that hangs in our dinning room. I don't think she knew I took it and quickly replied that the image would be better if the sign was right side up. I agreed that could be one approach. That was it, she was done with her critique and then Katie piped in...

Katie commented that I didn't follow my own rule about NOT putting the main subject of the photograph in the center of the frame. Before I could respond she continued with... "may be you did that on purpose because of course you know the rules".Yes, of course I know the rules, and I love to break them.

Oddly the conversation continued with another image also hanging in the dining room. Katie couldn't identify the subject of the photograph. It is a mostly blue rectangle with a diagonal white line through the middle. I asked her if she ever heard the word "abstract" before. Abbey jumped back in... "Isn't that something I heard about in art class?". Back to Katie..."Abstract is when you can't tell what it is supposed to be". Of course, yes again Katie.

So I am wondering, does she have an affinity for discussing art already, or is she just hanging out with her mother too much?