Heya guys! Art Director here from the film "Critique", my name is Paige Leggett, and we are asking for your support to help us make films you love, and films that celebrate the artistic process.
Any money would be appreciated!
Introduction of myself and my practice?
Ko Paige Leggett toku ingoa, and I am a student and practising painter for the collective 'The Heratics'. My medium is primarily oil paints on paper. These media and modes allow me to speak to the conversational nature of painting. This is also why I love film and short film as a medium, as it inherently speaks to the nature of human storytelling, myths and legends. As someone who works to talk about the interview process and storytelling being linked, I am interested in the representation of these people being painted and shown through artistic media. Yet this was not always my practice and only came to be over a process of losing myself in hating what I was doing. This happened due to my not being mentally positioned correctly for making, as well as not being given the right support from the artistic intuition, which led to this negative feedback loop of unhelpful 'critique' in my work. I had to reset to remember what I love about art... Which is that it's a mode of communication and a way to express incredibly complex emotions without a word spoken.
My relationship to this film and what I'm doing in the process of making it?
My relationship to this project is through my art collective, the Heratrics{collective} and my friend and director of this film, Maggie Shore. I have been doing my BFA and now going into my MFA, and with the collective starting to make wind, we were asked to paint the piece for the short film "Critique". This project is one that I took on due to my connection to struggling to love the work I made in my 3rd year of the BFA, in which I hated what I made to the point that I destroyed one of my works, and later brought it back.
In total, it was an eye-opening experience, where I had to reset and rethink how I make and process my own work and art practice so that I could make art that better represents me, as well as mahi that is more stimulating, which came from understanding the importance of practice being an ongoing process of understanding oneself.
Overview of the film
The film "Critique" is a short film about an artist struggling to love her work as she violently paints herself into what she perceives as a place from which the work will not recover. Through this process of emotional and anxiety-filled painting, a masterpiece has been created. Yet she struggles to see the beauty in her work, believing it to be a failure. But maybe quiet eyes will see what she can not.
A mixed-media production, "Critique" delves into the experimentation of blending fine art and cinema.
Rotoscope animation still by Maggie Shore
I believe that this film is a very real and honest experience for a lot of artists, myself included. When we are blinded by the idea of perfection, we don't see the beauty in imperfection, or what we perceive to be imperfection. This makes this film, in particular, a raw expression of the artistic process.
Pushing through hating your work
In my 3rd year of the Fine Arts program, I struggled with a set of self-portraits on opaque surfaces, which led to this negative feedback loop where my work was conceptually too difficult as well as technically impossible. Yet due to my stubbornness and pride surrounding painting, and my insecurity about my skill and needing validation, I wouldn't give myself any leeway with my work. Thus making my work less thought out and creating a product that I hated. In the end, the whole year led to a body of work that better reflected my struggling mental health as I worked through medical issues, poor time management and lack of a support system, primarily due to late-stage capitalism making these necessities to recover as luxuries.
The block was a slog, and it often will be for most artists. But in my belief, I do think that we as artists who struggle to make good work and works we are proud of, need to keep pushing, as you often are on the cusp of a series of works that you will learn to love and for that your work will elevate itself. Also, remember art is about connection, with the audience, and with other practitioners, and through this, we as artists learn and grow.
Resetting and refreshing
After this push that I went through, I found myself making art for the sake of just trying something and not really caring about the outcome, as it wasn't graded or something I needed to hold dear. Resetting for me was taking time to work on myself and not pushing myself to pull super long hours in the studio, other than when I want to pull those hours. As well as remember that even though this is my career, not to take it too seriously and that there is more to life than said career, even when it comes to the arts.
Interviewing some of the cast and crew of Critique
With the emphasis on how important community is in the art world and with us being creators together, I felt it would be appropriate for you all as readers to get a look at the film crew and each of their practices. A full article (link here) will be available for those who donate to Boosted, on BTS and info on my time with the crew, as well as their full interviews. So here is a small selection of messages from those interviews. Hope you enjoy it.
Paige Leggett
What is your name?
-Arlo Andrew
-Matthew Kelly
-Cassius Snow (No relation to the President of Panem)
-My name is D'Artagnan
-Natalia house
-Ilona Simpson
-Maggie Shore
-Alex Lascelles Davis
Paige Leeggtt
What is your practice?
Matthew Kelly
Poetry
Cassius Snow
I am a Photographer and Filmmaker. But storytelling is probably the most apt description. Driven by a desire to create work that is both visually compelling and emotionally resonant.
Natalia House
My practice is based in photography, collage, and painting. I want to put out work into the world that feels authentic to me and the things I am inspired by. I also wanted to create art that disturbs minds and raises questions. My favourite piece thus far has been my grotesque wall collage titled "Hell's Radio", and I love it because of the meaning behind it and where the idea spawned from; it was inspired by my love of horror movies and specifically feminine horror and body horror.
D'Artagnan Gould
I'm DOP for this shoot.
Ilona simpson
Mix media painting with acrylic, paint pens and pastels- with some textile incorporation as well as photography and acting
Maggie shore
A filmmaker, painter and artist. I love writing, creating stories and finding fun ways to bring them to life.
Alexander Davis
Film & TV Producer
Paige Leeggtt
What's the best piece you have made? And why?
Arlo Andrew
I am incredibly proud of the lighting in Fairy Bread. I think it's my best work so far. We (shoutout DP @jcksn.brela) really made great use of what we had and produced some awesome results.
Matthew Kelly
I've considered my poem 'Bravery' to be my best work for a while. It's the most meaningful poem I've written, for myself, so I'm certainly biased. Critically speaking, it flows well and has some powerful imagery which is both easy to understand and emotive.
Maggie Shore
I have multiple favourite pieces across mediums. 'Critique' hopes to be my 'best' work yet, with all the knowledge gained previously creating and the amazing crew on board of this project.
Alexander Davis
Sheepskin. It's a psychological short film highlighting the darker aspects of hospitality. It was at a luxury lodge, and the crew all stayed on site. And why? It is where I learnt that leading with human nature and empathy will not only create the best vibes on set, but the team will perform at a high level. Empathy and love are the true keys to producing.
Paige Leeggtt
And what do you want to achieve with that making?
Ilona Simpson
Through my creations, I want to tell stories, evoke emotion and connect people. A large part of my practice and motivation is to create works that people can relate to and feel seen by.
I want to be provocative and express life seen through multiple perspectives.
Alexander Davis
In my role, problem-solving is the main thing I do, and using that in a creative space with lots of variables is just so much fun. Communication and team inclusion is how I go about this most of the time, if I can.
Paige Leeggtt
What drew you to this film?
Cassius Snow
Maggie has a very bold and distinctive artistic voice matched with a waterfall of creativity. Being around that energy on set is very inspiring and encouraging, so when I was asked, I of course said yes before even reading the script!
Arlo Andrew
The people. These guys are an awesome team, and I'm super excited to work with them again.
Ilona simpson
I love to act, and I've had this experience before
Maggie shore
In creating this film, I want to explore not only how fine art and other interdisciplinary techniques can inform film, but also the connective relationship to art between the practitioner and audience. I have heard many artists critique their work very harshly, whilst I have thought it to be beautiful or well-made, and I have been that critical artist. I think it's important to be kind to our work, to learn, to grow and to continue trying to create things that connect us as humans.
Alexander Davis
Director Maggie has such a uniquely creative mind, and having worked with her on two other short films before this, as soon as I heard it, it was a no-brainer. Aside from that, it was the message that spoke to me. All of us creatives struggle to accept something as perfect - our perspectives change if it's our creation, and sometimes it seems never to meet our expectations. Highlighting that to the public as well as showing artists that we see and understand, you made me just have to be a part of this.
Paige Leeggtt
Where did your love of art come from?
Natalia House
My love of art came from my love of media like movies and music, my childhood, and my family, as we are all creatively gifted in different areas. The thing I would say to the people reading this...slow down. Really take the time to conserve your energy and remember that life doesn't need to be rushed. Everyone says to seize the day and make the most of your time, and you can, but also remember to be present in the moment. Be mindful. We are human beings, not human beings, so it's okay not to have the answer all the time. And be kind to yourself. I personally really struggle with my mental health, and as an artist, that can be both debilitating and wonderfully beneficial to my art-making process. It presents both challenges and inspirations to my work and who I am as a person. As quoted by Banksy, "I just want to make the world a better-looking place."
Maggie shore
My love of art has been a lifelong journey. My siblings are all following their own creative pursuits, and the arts have always been an important part of my life. I have always been drawn to music, art, poetry and film. I believe it helps explain the human condition and can make us feel a little less lonely in this big world.
Alexander Davis
When my parents divorced, my dad had us kids just for the weekends for a while, and there was something we did that became a sort of tradition. Every Friday, we would go to Video Easy, get a bunch of DVDs, set up mattresses in the lounge and camp out over the weekend watching movies. This is where my love for the screen arts sprouted.
Paige Leeggtt
What would you like readers to know as a practising artist, and what challenges do you face as an artist?
D'Artagnan Gould
It can be easy to fall out of love with creating when just chasing the money side of things. It's important to find balance and continue working on projects that inspire you as an artist.
Maggie shore
As a practising artist, it can be scary starting out! But all we can do is remember to be kind, be open and learn. It is better to make something 'bad' and develop your skills, than nothing at all. Find those interests, develop them and continue trying. Your critiques are there to help you advance as a creative, not to kill your spark.
Alexander Davis
Acceptance - accepting what we've made is great, because as a creative, you want everyone to like it. But you gotta accept that everyone's different and not everything speaks to everyone. Accept that there are things you can't control - you can only control your own feelings about it. You made it, you did great, and whatever happens will happen. All is good
Paige Leeggtt
Leave us with a line of wisdom or a quote about art.
Arlo Andrew
"People confuse 'pretty' with good cinematography" - Roger Deakins
Matthew Kelly
- "to point yourself in the direction of an art form you want to do, and start, however good or bad you feel you are. Trust that simply the desire to do it, in the long run, will be enough to see you to making something you will love and feel proud of... probably a lot sooner than you'd think, if not as soon as you'd hope. Speaking from experience, once you've made one piece (poem, illustration etc etc) that makes you feel good, the next generally comes quite soon after." - Unknown Source
Conclusion
I hope that, through hearing my story and why I am so personally invested in this film and the vision of Maggie's mahi. Is this experience of struggling to love your art, is just a fleeting moment in the whole process of being an artist? Without these big emotions and passion that we feel as creatives then we would never be the effective communicators of the emotion and beauty that we see in the world around us. We are called to be artists not because it is easy, but because we offer reflection to culture and hope to those after us. To those in this space currently, I see you, and you are strong because you care for your community.
So use that love you have for your community back to yourself and remember you are human, you will make work that you don't love, and use those experiences to reset and make for making sake, we do this because we love it.
So help us do what we love and donate to this film production, so the arts from small and independent artists get the attention we deserve, you would be funding our careers and the continuation of our love of art itself.