Lesson 6 Art Criticism PDF

University of Baguio Assumption Road, Baguio City 2600 Lesson 6: Art Criticism I. Objectives 1. Explain what art criticism is. 2. Explain each of the 4 procedures in art criticism. 3. Criticize a work of art following the 4 procedures: description, analysis, interpret...

University of Baguio Assumption Road, Baguio City 2600 Lesson 6: Art Criticism I. Objectives 1. Explain what art criticism is. 2. Explain each of the 4 procedures in art criticism. 3. Criticize a work of art following the 4 procedures: description, analysis, interpretation, and judgment. II. Lesson Proper: A. WHAT IS ART CRITICISM? Art criticism is the discussion or evaluation of visual art. Art critics usually criticize art in the context of aesthetics or the theory of beauty. A goal of art criticism is the pursuit of a rational basis for art appreciation. Art criticism employs certain methods in studying a particular work of art. The methods used by art critics to identify these qualities often involve four operations: description, analysis, interpretation, and judgment. Learning how these operations are used will help you develop your own skills in examining and discussing works of art. These examinations and discussions will help you make your own personal decisions about those jobs and greatly increase your enjoyment of them. Art criticism is not a matter of casual observation and impulsive expressions of likes or dislikes. It is a reasoned activity of the mind. Art critics use the operations of description, analysis, interpretation, and judgment to gain information from the artwork, rather than gathering facts about the work and the artist who created it. Used by a critic, these operations direct attention to internal clues, that is, clues found in the work itself. When examining any work of art, critics ask and answer questions such as these: What is seen in the artwork? How is the artwork designed? What does it mean? Is it a successful work of art? B. 4 PROCEDURES IN ART CRITICISM 1. Description This initial step begins by making a thorough inventory of everything one sees in the work of art. In other words, one identifies the literal qualities, or realistic presentation of subject matter, and the elements of art found in the work. During this step you must be objective. In other words, give only the facts. List everything you see and be specific without guessing. 2. Analysis During analysis, the principles of art will be used to determine how the elements of art used in the picture are organized. By focusing on the relationship of principles and elements, one would gain an understanding of the work’s design qualities, or how well the work is organized, or put together. This understanding will enable one to determine if the work has an overall sense of unity. During step two you are still collecting facts. Now, however, you will pay attention to the elements and principles of art. You will list HOW the artist has used the elements and principles. How has the artist used lines and implied lines? How has the artist used shape, form, value, texture, space, and color? 3. Interpretation When interpreting the meaning of an artwork, one must refer to everything he or she learned during the description and analysis. The concern centers on identifying the expressive qualities, or the meaning, mood, or idea communicated to the viewer. However, everyone knows that a work of art may be interpreted in different ways by different people. Therefore, one’s interpretation of the painting will be a personal one, based on the information that was gathered from the artwork under study. Page 1 of 2  During step three, you have two questions to answer: “What is happening?” and “What is the artist trying to say?” You will interpret (explain or tell the meaning of) the work. 4. Judgment Judgment is an important part of the art criticism process to demonstrate a genuine appreciation for art. The act of making a judgment and defending that judgment with good reasons demonstrates that a person understands and appreciates a work of art. Conclusion Understanding the steps to art criticism and implementing them in a structured way in critique, will lead to stronger artworks. These steps help us to appreciate all forms of art, including the works that we may not appreciate at first glance. All forms of art have their place, and all deserve a fair approach to evaluation. IV. References: Walker, A. (1998, October 8). Musical Criticism. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/musical-criticism Caslib, Bernardo et.al. (2018) Art Appreciation. Manila: Rex Book Store Gaut, B. and Livingston, P. (eds). (2003).The Creation of Art, ch. 6, pp.148–73 retrieved from: https://www.open.edu/openlearn/pluginfile.php/610549/mod_resource/content/1/rea ding6.pdf https://oercommons.org/courseware/lesson/32528/student/?section=10 https://prezi.com/4gqfdz9e5t6w/the-4-steps-of-art-criticism/ Page 2 of 2