Professor and Area Chair of Scientific Illustration Gene Wright recently delivered a presentation at the 74th Annual Meeting of the Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Wright’s lecture titled “Critique or Presentation” explored the pedagogy of critique within the area of Scientific Illustration. His Ted-style talk left many of the attendees with an appreciation of a specific style of student presentations.  

The AMI annual meeting is a gathering of professional, student, and associate members of the Association of Medical Illustrators. The meeting features three days of plenary and concurrent sessions that cover a rich variety of topics including art and visualization, biomedical subjects and business practices, as well as of the Salon - the finest contemporary medical illustration exhibit in North America.

At this year’s conference, Wright proposed that a successful critique relies upon three principles: preparation, presentation, and ownership. Wright goes on to state that without preparation on the part of both student and instructor, content and message are lost. Students also have to own their work, standing for their successes and failures. They must also be willing to present their findings.

From these ideas, Wright concludes that by asking students to create presentations of their work, the instructor generates a truthful and honest discussion about the work. Presentations enable students time to evaluate, analyze and prepare their thoughts; leading their audience through the process of describing first their objectives and then demonstrating step by step how they worked through the problems along the way to a final, successful image.
Scientific Illustration professionals who attended supported Wright’s finding, adding that it prepares students for the professional world of working with a client base as an Illustrator.  Students will also develop stronger vocabulary, gain confidence, and comfortability explaining their work.

Gene Wright earned his BFA in Scientific Illustration from the University of Georgia in 1986, and his Master's Degree in Medical Illustration from the Medical College of Georgia in 1990. Gene has received Awards of Excellence in Advertising, marketing, and Illustrated Medical Textbook Awards.