Writing About Art
1.
Describe what you
see. This is the objective portion of
the art critique. It involves a technical description-nothing more. It should
include things like:
o
Artist's name
o
Title of work
o
Type of artwork
o
Subject of the painting (scene)
o
Objects in the painting
o
First impression––note the
characteristics of the artwork that first jump out at you
o
Colors used
o
Shapes, lines and texture
o
Light saturation
o
Sensory qualities––identify the
predominant mood and visual effect.
2. Analyze the artwork. Evolve the art criticism from
a technical description to an in-depth examination of how the technical
elements were utilized by the artist to create the overall impression conveyed
by the artwork. Technical elements you need to analyze when you critique artwork
include:
- Color.
- Shapes, forms and lines.
- Texture.
- Light and shadow.
- How each technical element contributes to the mood,
meaning and aesthetic sensation of the artwork.
3. Interpret the artwork. This part of an art critique is more subjective than the
others, as you are expected to use your analysis of the technical aspects of
the piece of art to apply your own supposition to the artist's intended purpose
for the artwork. Try to accomplish the following things when formulating your
interpretation:
- Communicate the artist's statement. Describe what you
think the artist is trying to say through the work of art.
· Expound on the
feeling conveyed by the artwork. Describe what the artwork means to you, and
why.
· Explain what you feel is the artist's intended purpose for
creating that particular work of art. Examine why the artist made the choices
in technique, materials and subject matter and how they relate to the intended
purpose.
· Identify symbols in the artwork and describe
how they relate to the artist's technical choices and contribute to the
artist's execution of the intended purpose.
Evaluate the artwork. This is a summation of the art criticism process leading up
to this point. Use your analysis and interpretation to draw conclusions and
reach judgments about the artwork.
- State what you think the artwork's value is. For
example, its value may be to evoke nostalgia, to incite anger or to impart
beauty. Explain why you feel this way.
- Describe the artwork's relevance to the art community
and to people as a whole.
- Explain where you feel the artwork has strong value and
where you think it falls short.
There are many words that can help you
be descriptive when it comes to critiquing art. In fact, there are words to
comment on every single aspect of art. The line, tone, movement, texture and
shape are just a few ways in which art can be critiqued. However, the following
list will go into more depth of the words that you can use to critique art.
Criticism
Guide:
The following guide is designed to give
you the skills to argue your point of view.
This first version gives my answers to one work as an example. The answers are then arranged in essay form
with at least one page per museum. Leave the questions out and you have an
example of a museum paper.
Reasons
for Making Art
1.
Art Creates Beauty
4. Art Immortalizes
8. Art Creates Order and Harmony
9. Art Expresses Chaos
10. Art Records and Commemorates Experience
11. Art Reflects the Social and Cultural
Context
12. Art Protests Injustice and Raises Social
Consciousness
13. Art Elevates the Commonplace
14. Art Meets the Needs of the Artist
|
Aesthetic Philosophies
|
Description:
1. What is the Title of the Art work, Artist
Name, Media used, Date Created, and Museum
name?
This paper will criticize The Lighthouse at Two Lights, an oil painting on canvas by
Edward Hopper, created in 1929 and displayed by The Metropolitan Museum of Art
in New York City.
2. What does the picture look like; can you describe it in your own words?
The
light house in The Lighthouse at Two Lights painting fills the canvas with
sunlit buildings on top of a yellow grassy hill standing proudly as a symbol of
strength. The impressive smooth sturdy
cream toned light house stands against a blue sky along with the Victorian
style two story red roofed house and out buildings.
3. What three elements
of design are the most noticeable and why?
When viewing this painting one
cannot help but notice how the sunlight models the light house in a strong chiaroscuro manner waiting for
the viewer to participate in that sunny afternoon. The realistic space of this building is
accented by the two point linear perspective and by the warm toned golden hill
and buildings against the cool blue sky.
4. What principles of design are the most noticeable
and why?
The light house is further
described to the viewer by the placement and proportion of the form forcing one
to focus on it as it dominates the canvas.
The size of light house and the way this form seems to push out of the
top of the painting pulling the viewer’s eyes upward simultaneously creating a
triangular shaped composition with the other buildings and the strong linear
shape of the light house.
Analysis:
5. For what reason
was the art made; what was the possible aesthetic philosophy; is it
representational, abstract or nonrepresentational; does it use known
iconography; Are there any cultural differences to consider about the artist?
In what era was the work created, and how does this affect the meaning of the
artwork?
Americans as a whole are apparently
big fans of the light houses, tirelessly guiding those stuck in bad weather,
lighthouses suffer silently, maybe slightly creaking in the wind and braving
any storm like true pillars of strength.
Hopper painted this particular light house at least four separate times
so it apparently was significant to him, meeting some inner need for the
artist. This painting certainly communicates
to us by the way that it was painted, but most importantly it can be viewed as
reflecting social and cultural context of the time.
The 1920s in America are said to
be a time of sustained economic prosperity and social, artistic, and cultural
vigor. During this era America continued
its dynamic growth, scattering its citizens from coast to coast. Economically the country grew through the use
of automobiles, telephones, motion pictures, and electricity, as well as
unprecedented industrial growth, accelerated consumer demand and aspirations,
and significant changes in lifestyle and culture.
The Lighthouse at Two Lights can be seen through its
strength and dominance as a symbol for 1920’s America. This painting communicates this strength to us a
surely as the written language. The representational
iconic symbol of the lighthouse itself is a structure designed to emit light
and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland
waterways. It can be seen by many as a
symbol for light as a path to show the way in through difficult times such as
that faced by Americans in 1929 when Wall Street crashed. When President Calvin Coolidge delivered his
1928 State of the Union address, he noted that America had never "met with
a more pleasing prospect than that which appears at the present time." And
then came Black Monday. As soon as the
opening bell rang on Oct. 28, prices began to drop. The opening bell was never
heard on Black Tuesday because the shouts of "Sell! Sell! Sell!"
drowned it out. In total, $25 billion,
some $319 billion in today's dollars, was lost in the 1929 crash. One does not have to have lived through the
1920’s to see how this symbol of hope and strength can speak to the viewer, but
it helps to put things in perspective of why Hooper may have created this
painting.
Interpretation and Critical
Argument:
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