A critic of the artist series

I’m not positive I feel quite the same enthusiasm much of the class feels about the Hillman Curtis Artist Series. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it but I didn’t find it exceptionally exciting and inspirational. I think that the artists he focused on were definitely interesting, but that his videos weren’t. I felt that there was a formula to them that really made me distracted by what the artists were saying.

First, was the music. All of the videos that I watched had music that I felt was mundane and something that I had heard in so many films like these already. It was often loud and jarring when switching between narrations. I find music very interesting, and was disappointed that it (for me) detracted in these shorts. Selecting the right music for a piece is crucial and I don’t think the ones for this series worked well.

Second, I also wasn’t super impressed by the cinematography. I can’t speak too much in comparison to my work, but overall (similarly to the music) I felt that it has “been done before.” I feel that in many scenes either the lighting wasn’t good, the angle made me uncomfortable, or the lack of focus wasn’t working. I also feel that the cuts to the artist’s works weren’t long enough or were distracting when I was trying to listen to the interviewee.

Lastly, I was a little bit upset about the lack of women in this series. Trust me, I am no raging feminist, but I do know there are great female graphic designers out in the world. I just felt that Paula Scher was in this series just to have a woman in it, rather than because she’s good. I don’t want women to be included in projects like this, just because it’s a woman, but rather for what they have to offer.

We’re all critics and maybe I’m being too harsh, but I still don’t feel the same inspiration that my classmates felt after watching this series. However, I was still able to take a lot away from watching it. First, I guess I’m better at deciding what I like and don’t like, but I also took away a lot of the words the artists had to say. Sadly, I preferred just listening instead of watching the films. My interest in Hillman Curtis isn’t all negative though. I much preferred his commercials and some of his short films over the artist series.