Critics and Their Purpose talks about the impotance of an artist's intention. Therefore, it should be safe to assume that pieces without intention are a waste of criticism.
Designing Under the Influence included some interesting and non-so-interesting comments:
"Similarly, at this stage of design and art history, I wonder if knowing all the precedents might actually inhibit a designer's ability to get any work done."
--- It's discouraging. I'm suppose to brace a contraint that no matter how much information I memorize I will always stand the possiblity of being accused of copying someone.
"If you don't know who Barbara Kruger (or anyone else for that matter) is, are you not in the slightest way driven to find out? I would question your motives in becoming a Graphic Designer if you really haven't got the slightest interest in Graphic Design (Harsh, but it certainly seems that way)."
--- I don't know who Barbara Kruger is. I probably don't know half of the "anyone else" on her list for that matter. College Education is not standardized. Not everyone will have exposure to the same artists. I'm not slightly driven to find out who "futura bold italic in white on solid color" is. My artistic interests are not the same as hers (Harsh, I know).
Ok! Ok, ok, ok, ok, I'm off topic and so is the person who wrote that comment.
Here are the serious questions that this comment posses. Why would anyone need to study every artist presented to them? Why is it not ok to know every artist? Can artists be allowed to learn about art in their own way AND not be accused of being "not driven" or "uninterested"? Should anyone who doesn't know who Barbara Kruger is just fucking die? What's more cool - asking questings to understand OR making presumptive remarks followed by self declarations of what a "harsh" observer you are?
Why History? Why Bother? poses the question: what merits of your work as a graphic designer could replace the importance of your client list?
The Ecstacy of Influence talks about plagerism, intellectual property, unailienable rights, copyrights, and gifts
Clarifying design from art:
"...I don’t think any design succeeds on visual merit alone. That’s called art. Whereas design is only one part of a larger process that creates something (web app, store, propaganda campaign, etc.) where success is determined as a whole." -
Greg Storey in a comment on
Pretty Ugly
