by David Akanji

Welcome to AULT, the arts and culture column of The Poor Print, written by David Akanji (me).
AULT exists to refocus our minds, re-engaging ourselves with art and cultural understanding. I’ll be focusing on current opinions/events/issues in the art world, but more importantly how we as students, citizens, and humans fit into it. If there are any topics or events you want covered, reach out to me at david.akanji [at] oriel.ox.ac.uk

Mastering the Craft: Navigating the Art of Giving and Receiving Feedback

It’s the Christmas season, so let’s get into the spirit of giving (and receiving, if you’re that kind of person). While I am not referring to physical gifts and gestures of appreciation and love, the act of giving in any season is vital. In this issue, we’ll align more with the theme of ‘Habit’ and our innate habit of shying away from feedback and critiques. This is important not only in the creative world but in our everyday lives and for our personal and professional development. So as we enter the final week of term and take a well-deserved break from the exacerbations of Oxford, let’s use the time to reflect not only on the term but the year. What went well? What didn’t go so well? What should we change?

Receiving academic feedback is something that we should all be used to now. We submit an essay / problem sheet / commentary and our tutors rip us apart. Receiving critique from our peers is a different story. Receiving criticism can be hard to swallow, it can feel like a personal attack and can often become hyperbolic in our minds. However, it is not only about receiving criticism, the way it is presented takes the helm for how it will be received. Trust and respect are a massive part of this, if I do not believe we are on the same plane of mutual trust and respect for one another I will inevitably take your feedback the wrong way. Your comments on my actions may confound in my mind as a comment on my person.

When I was working on an Abramovic-adjacent event for young people at the Royal Academy of Arts, we had a session with a novel company: Pudding. Pudding acts as a post-event feedback system, where audiences can talk through, digest and reflect on what they just experienced. When working with Pudding in one of our sessions we worked through exercises to give each other feedback within the group. While we were all on the same team, there was immense value in having a space to say what you feel and think and being able to respond to what others think and feel. While this seems like it has the potential to get messy and awkward – it was the opposite. By providing everyone with the same opportunity to feedback on how the program is developing it truly gave everyone a seat at the table, all of course while eating pudding!

While I use art as an analogue for ourselves, suggesting the importance of ourselves being ‘critiqued’, it is important to note that we are not pieces of art. Of course, I believe you are all exquisitely resplendent. But we have not been published for public opinion and scrutiny. In this way, it would be jejune for anyone to think that it was as easy as blurting out ‘feedback’ to a friend or peer. Feedback should not take away from the ‘essence of us’ or make us feel as if we need to fundamentally change ourselves. Filter in your mind the thoughts and opinions of those you value and block out the noise. Part of the art of navigating feedback is knowing when to listen to it and when to disregard it.

So I will end it with: be open to feedback. However, do not take ’open’ as ingenuous. We are a community, it is vital that we are able to hold conversations, constructively critiquing each other – one of the best forms of feedback is self-feedback. It is a fine balancing act that we should all work to master, while it can shape and mould us into better craftspeople, remember: French critic Louis Leroy called a ‘preliminary drawing of a wallpaper pattern more finished than [Monet’s Sunrise]’.
Take some time during the vac for self-reflection, how can we be better creatives, students, friends, coursemates, children, or siblings?

With that, Happy Holidays!!! And see you all in the New Year.