Chap 5 notes - Evaluating Art

Art 211 Art Appreciation
Chapter 5 Evaluating Art

What is a critique? How do you evaluate art?
A critique is an oral or written discussion strategy used to analyze, describe, and interpret works of art.
Four major areas of art criticism: description, analysis, interpretation, and judgment.
Step 1 - Description - DESCRIBE the artwork in terms of its literal content and artistic elements. Describe it as though you are talking to a blind person. Be specific. Tell me what you see.
Design elements should be noted – LINE, TEXTURE, SHAPE, COLOR, VALUE, SPACE, PATTERN
Media, materials or techniques used for expression in the work need to be noted – paint, clay, metal, paper, oil on canvas, watercolor, photography, etc
What is the name of the artist who created the artwork? What are the title, date, and size of the art?
What kind of an artwork is it? What is the subject or theme? Is it a historical event, a portrait, a still life, a landscape, an animal, a medical illustration, architectural, fantasy, political commentary, a religious work etc? What is happening in the art work?
What is the most important idea or experience in this art work? What is the artist trying to say?
List the literal objects in the painting (trees, people, animals, mountains, rivers, etc.). Does the imagery such as the clothing, architecture, describe the time and place? What about the traditions or customs of the day or the type of people portrayed in the art work?

Does the work show emotions? Is it mysterious, tell a story, legend or myth? What is the mood of the artwork? Describe the technical qualities of the work (brushstrokes, controlled, spontaneous, etc). What materials were used (watercolor, clay, oils, etc)? What type of art work is the final product (drawing, painting, print, sculpture, ceramic, textile, collage, illustration, etc.)? How do the materials used convey the ideas or feelings the artist intended?

Descriptive, qualitative words should be used to describe what is going on in the work of art. Words such as explosive, jerky, fluid, massive etc are descriptive words used in observation of art. Description, along with analysis accomplishes several important functions encouraging a complete examination of the art work. Description helps to avoid the viewer’s tendency to jump to conclusions, builds observational skills and helps to establish a consensus for purposes of discussion.
Step 2 - Analysis - ANALYZE the artwork in terms of how the artist used the principles of design to manipulate the content to provoke meaning.
Describe how the work is organized as a complete composition.
Design Principles are noted - Consider the most significant art principles that were used in the artwork. The principles are – BALANCE, CONTRAST, EMPHASIS, HARMONY, VARIETY, UNITY, MOVEMENT, REPETITION/RHYTHM, PROPORTION, DEPTH, and COMPOSITION. Describe how the artist used them to organize the elements.
Identify some of the similarities throughout the work (i.e., repetition). Identify some of the points of emphasis in the work (i.e., specific scene, figure, movement). If the work has subjects or characters, what are the relationships between or among them? Balance – radial, symmetrical or asymmetrical? Lines – curved, straight, diagonal, etc? Shape – organic or inorganic? Are the colors bright, dull, warm, or cool? Do the shapes come forward or recede due to their color? How as the artist used color to create feelings or mood? What is the main color of the art? Are the values dark or light?
How is space achieved – foreground, middle ground, background? Overlapping? Perspective? Texture – implied, real, rough, smooth, soft, etc? Is there movement and how is it achieved? Variety of elements used? Focal point? Eye tracks – what do you see first, then next, etc?
Analysis is a continuation of description, but instead of talking about separate parts, the focus shifts to the way the part work together as a whole. A good way to begin an analysis is the look at the pervasive qualities of the work of art. The large, overall characteristics of feelings and moods projected by the work of art.
Step 3 - Interpretation - INTERPRET the work on the basis of what has already been discovered about the work in the first two steps. Consider not only the literal descriptions but also the emotional content and the use of symbols and allegories to arrive at the message or meaning in the work.
Based upon description and analysis, what is the artist communicating? Is the work a story, myth or legend? Based on what you have learned so far about the artwork, what do you think the artist was trying to say? Why did the artist create this artwork? What do you think it means?
What feelings do you have when looking at this artwork? Why? Do you think there are items in the artwork that represent other things or have other meaning or symbols? Describe how the work makes you think or feel.
Describe the expressive qualities you find in the work. What expressive language would you use to describe the qualities (i.e., tragic, ugly, funny, beautiful)? Is the art work timeless? Does the work remind you of other things you have experienced (i.e., analogy or metaphor)? How does the work relate to other ideas or events in the world and/or in your other studies? Does the title of this art reflect the work itself?
Interpretation is an effort to find meaning in the art work. It is one of the most important components of the art criticism process. It can be the most creative and thought provoking process. Ask yourself these questions – “What does the art work mean to me?” or “What is the message of the artwork?”. Remember, there is no “right” interpretation. Interpretations should be insightful, interesting, informative, and reasonable.
Step 4 - Judgment - JUDGMENT about the work's worth based on the information gathered about the work. Judgments must be supported by what was learned through the "reading" process.
The judgment is based upon the description, analysis, and interpretation from the previous steps.
Personal philosophies, background, and feelings are not taken into account.
Do you like this artwork? Why or why not? Be specific and use art terms. Merely stating, “I like it” or “I don’t like it” is not enough. Does the art work convincingly express the subject or idea it was based on? How original is the artwork? What degree of uniqueness and imagination has the artist displayed in the artwork? After forming a final judgment of the art, would you buy this art work? Would you keep it in your home or donate it to a museum?
Judgment is an act that involves you in deciding on the value and significance of the art work.
Justify your opinion. Explain why you feel the way you do about this artwork based on what you have learned about it.