Transcript Art Criticism and Aesthetic Judgment

Art Criticism and Aesthetic
Judgment
Chapter 2 ArtTalk Textbook
Art Criticism




Art criticism is an
organized system for
studying a work of art.
Criteria (standards of
judgment) are used to
evaluate a work of art.
Aesthetics are the
philosophy or study of the
nature of beauty and art.
The aesthetic experience
is your personal
interaction with a work of
art.
Leo Twiggs, Blue Wall, 1969 - Batik and paint on
cotton mounted on board - 22 x 29 3/8 inches
(frame) Collection of the artist
Why Study Art Criticism?
Art criticism at first glance is a
difficult and nerve-wracking
process. It seems as though
people are making up weird
things about a work of art.
Common thoughts during the
process are, “I don’t see that”,
“What is she talking about?”, “I
don’t want to say the wrong
thing”. In art criticism, there is
not a “correct” answer. After you
learn to critique (not criticize)
art, you will find that art
criticism is about looking at art
and evaluating what you think
about it. Art will have different
meanings to each of us. There is
no right answer!
Mary Cassatt, Self-portrait. c. 1878. Gouache on paper. 23 1/2 x 27 1/2 in.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Art Criticism
Art criticism is like playing
detective. You assume the
artist has created a message
for you to uncover, and it’s
your job to discover that
message.
In order to “discover” the
message, there are four steps
for you to follow in order:


1.
2.
3.
4.
Description
Analysis
Interpretation
Judgment
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, At the Moulin Rouge. 1892/1895. Oil on canvas. 123 x 141
cm (48 7/16 x 55 1/2 in.). The Art Institute of Chicago, Helen Birch Bartlett
Memorial Collection
Step 1 - Description




This step is meant to slow your
pace of looking at the art.
Instead of giving it a quick
glance and saying, “I like it” or
“I don’t like it”, this step slows
you down to look at the art and
really see it.
In this step, write the credit line
and describe what you physically
see in the work of art.
Don’t use emotional words at all
in describing the work of art.
Instead of “I see a sad woman”,
you would say “I see a woman”.
Don’t make assumptions in your
description. Instead of “I see a
mother and child”, you would
say “I see a woman and a child”
Mary Cassatt, Baby Reaching for an Apple. 1893. Oil on canvas. 100.3
x 65.4 cm (39 ½ x 25 ¼ in). Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond,
VA.
Step 2 - Analysis




In step 2, you discover how the work is
organized – how are the elements of art
and the principles of design used in this art
work?
How has the artist used line, shape and
form, space, color, value, and texture in
his art?
How has the artist created and/or used
rhythm, movement, balance, proportion,
variety, emphasis, harmony, and unity in
her art?
Another way to look at this step is to
describe how the artist has directed your
eye to the most important part, the next
item in importance, and so on, through the
use of the elements and principles.
Sir Jacob Epstein, The Visitation. 1926. Bronze.
165.3 x 53.1 x 49.9 cm (65 1/3 x 20 ¼ x 18 ¼ in).
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden,
Smithsoinian Inatitution, Washington, D.C.
Step 3 - Interpretation





What is the artist saying to me?
This is the step where you explain
or tell the meaning or mood of the
work.
Interpretation is when you use
emotional words like sad, happy,
glad, carefree, calm, relaxed, etc.
Interpretation is the most
difficult step because this is what
the art means to you, and that
may be very different from what
others might think.
Your interpretation is going to be
based on your life experiences,
so it will be different.
Your interpretation is still based
on what you observed in the
description and analysis steps.
Rene Magritte, Golconde. 1953. Oil on canvas. 81 × 100 cm, 31.9 × 39.37 in. The Menil Collection,
Houston, TX.
Step 4 - Judgment





You determine the degree of artistic merit.
You decide whether you like it or not.
Is this a successful work of art?
In judging a work of art, you need to look at your reaction to it. Sometimes
you can dislike a work of art and still think it is successful. Artists
sometimes deliberately try to evoke a negative reaction.
Again, there is no right answer!
Aesthetic Theories & Qualities of Art

The three aesthetic qualities of art
are:



Literal qualities focus on the
realistic qualities that appear in the
subject of the work. Art should
imitate life. The aesthetic theory
called Imitationalism focused on
realistic presentation.
Design qualities look at how well the
work is organized – how well the
elements of art and the principles
of design are used. The aesthetic
theory Formalism places emphasis
on the design qualities.
Expressive qualities communicate
the ideas and the moods of the
artwork. The aesthetic theory
Emotionalism requires a strong
communication of feelings, moods, or
ideas from the art work to the viewer.
Thomas Eakins, The Gross Clinic. 1889. Oil on canvas.
Francis Bacon, Head VI. 1948.
Joan Miro, Dutch Interior I. 1928. Oil
on canvas. 36 1/8 x 28 3/4" (91.8 x 73
cm). Mrs. Simon Guggenheim Fund.
© 2008 Successió Miró / Artists Rights
Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP,
Paris
Aesthetic Theories & Qualities of
Art
All three theories of
aesthetics, Imitationalism,
Formalism, and
Emotionalism can be used
to judge art. You may like
a work because it looks so
realistic. You may also
appreciate it because it is so
perfectly in balance using
informal balance. And, you
may like it because you
have positive feelings about
the subject matter or you
may like the message the
artist is conveying.
Chuck Close, Mark. 1979.
Acrylic on canvas.
Edward Munch, The Dead Mother.
1899-1900. Oil on canvas. 39 3/8 x
35 3/8 in. Kunsthalle, Bremen.
Paul Strand, White Fence. 1916. Photograph.
Art Criticism of Christina’s World by
Andrew Wyeth

Description (What do you
see?)



first look at the credit line.
Record the information from
the credit line.
List everything you physically
see, including small details.
Possible details to examine –
the woman’s dress (is it old or
new, what color), her hair, her
legs, arms, feet, hands
(anything unusual?), the
buildings, the road, the sky
(what color is it? How much
of image is ground, how much
is sky?)
Andrew Wyeth, Christina's World. 1948. Tempera on gessoed panel. 32 1/4 x 47 3/4" (81.9 x 121.3
cm).
Art Criticism of Christina’s World by
Andrew Wyeth

Analysis (How is the work
arranged?)



Where does your eye go first
in the painting? How does the
artist get you to look at this
first? (use of line, color,
value, shape, emphasis,
rhythm, etc)
How does the artist get you to
look at different parts of the
painting and in what order?
Use the elements of art and
the principles of design to
describe how the artist has
directed your viewing of his
or her artwork.
Andrew Wyeth, Christina's World. 1948. Tempera on gessoed panel. 32 1/4 x 47 3/4" (81.9 x
121.3 cm).
Art Criticism of Christina’s World by
Andrew Wyeth

Interpretation (What is the artist
saying?)






Your interpretation is based on
your life experiences and
outlook, so it will not be the same
as someone else’s interpretation.
The slant of the roof of the
largest building takes your eye
straight to the woman. Why did
the artist do this?
Why is the ground so much
bigger than the sky area?
Why did the artist separate the
blades of grass?
Why are the woman’s legs not
carrying any weight?
What is the emotional mood of
this work?
Andrew Wyeth, Christina's World. 1948. Tempera on gessoed panel. 32 1/4 x 47 3/4" (81.9 x
121.3 cm).
Art Criticism of Christina’s World by
Andrew Wyeth

Judgment (Is this a
successful work of art? Why
or why not?)

Look at it from an aesthetic
theory viewpoint.




Would this be a successful
artwork to an Imitationalist?
Would this be a successful
artwork to a Formalist?
Would this be a successful
artwork to an Emotionalist?
Is this a successful artwork to
you? Why or why not? How
did you react to it? What was
your response to it?
Andrew Wyeth, Christina's World. 1948. Tempera on gessoed panel. 32 1/4 x 47 3/4" (81.9 x 121.3
cm).
Meet the Artist
Louise Nevelson


Louise Nevelson was
born in Kiev, Ukraine in
1899. In 1920, she
moved to New York
City and took up the
study of art in 1929.
Nevelson was inspired
by Cubism, preColumbian art, and the
creative drive within her.
Louise Nevelson, Sky Cathedral. 1982. Painted wood. Smithsonian American Art Museum
Meet the Artist
Louise Nevelson



Nevelson started out
experimenting with all art
media. Then she started
working threedimensionally putting things
together – called
assemblage, or assembled
sculpture.
Although she is best known
for her “boxes”, Nevelson
also did some massive
outdoor sculptures.
Louise Nevelson died as an
American citizen in 1988.
Louise Nevelson, Luminous Zag: Night, 1971. Painted wood (105 boxes), 120 x
193 x 10 3/4 inches, overall. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Louise Nevelson, City on the High Mountain. 1983. Steel painted black. 20'
6" x 23' x 13' 6"
Objective Assessment – Reviewing
Art Facts
Write the following questions and then the answer.
1. Standards of judgment.
2. An organized system for studying a work of art.
3. The philosophy or study of the nature of beauty and
art.
4. Personal interaction with a work of art.
5. The art criticism step in which you make a list of all
the things you see in a work.
6. The art criticism step in which you discover how
the work is organized.
7. The art criticism step in which you explain or tell
the meaning or mood of the work.
Objective Assessment – Reviewing
Art Facts
Write the following questions and then the answer.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
The art criticism step in which you determine the degree of
artistic merit of the work.
The realistic qualities that appear in the subject of the work.
The qualities that indicate how well the work is organized.
The qualities that communicate ideas and moods.
The aesthetic theory that focuses on realistic presentation.
The aesthetic theory that places emphasis on the design
qualities.
The aesthetic theory that requires a communication of
feelings, moods, or ideas.
Objective Assessment – Reviewing
Art Facts
Write the following questions and then the answer.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What will learning the steps of art criticism help you
develop?
Name the four steps of art criticism in the order in which
they must be followed.
In which step would you list the size of the work and the
medium used?
Name and describe the three aesthetic theories.
If the organization of an artwork is most important to an art
critic, which aesthetic theory would he or she hold?
When criticizing functional objects, what must you consider
during interpretation besides beauty?