Art Critiques

1. Art Critiques Sculpture 2013

2. What is an “art critique?” • Art criticism involves a specific way of looking at a work of art • Learning how to criticize artwork properly will allow you to better understand works of art and why they have become important. • The process of art criticism involves 4 actions. They are: describe, analyze, interpret and decide.

3. Process 1: “Describe” • What things are in the art work? • Think of things like specific images (i.e. clothing) • What mediums are used?

4. Process 2: “Analyze” • How are the elements used? • How are the elements of line, shape, form, texture, space and value used? • How are the principles of rhythm(flow), variety, balance, emphasis and proportion used?

5. Process 3: “Interpret” • The MEANING of the piece • What is the artist trying to say to you? • What is going on in the picture or artwork?

6. Process 4: Decide • What do I think about this artwork? • Do I like it? Why or why not? • How do I feel about whether the artist was successful in conveying an idea? • Successful in creating a “realistic” image • Successful in using the elements and principles of design in the artwork (interaction of all parts of the work) • The artist did a good job of evoking an emotion or feeling from me

7. How do I do an art critique? • We will get into small groups and you will critique each other’s work based on these 4 things • You will be given a handout that walks you through the 4 steps, and you fill in your responses and give the artist feedback

8. How do I do an art critique? • Everyone will put their work on display and you can walk around the room and look at all the pieces • You will be in small groups (~4 people) • You will take turns in your groups looking at each person’s work

9. How do I do an art critique? • One person will show their work at a time • The group will look at the art work • You will write down your critique answers • The artist will present their work – explaining each of the pages and the mediums used • You will determine if the artist’s explanation is similar to your interpretation

10. How will my critique be marked? • Critiques do not impact the artist’s grade in any way • The “critiquer” not the artist is graded based on the response given • The artist is only marked on their finished product, and the again later on the critiques you do for other pieces

11. Do I critique everyone I the class? • No! • You will only submit ONE critique to be evaluated by the teacher • You will be able to view all pieces of art in the class, and will be put into a group (at random) to present and critique work

12. Let’s practice! • We will do a practice critique so that you know what to expect next class. • Key things to remember: • This is something that someone has created from nothing – it is special and the artist is showing you something very personal • You need to respect the artist and the artwork - use uplifting language and be encouraging in your verbal response • Be thoughtful in your critique answers • If you critique someone “easy” it does not help you or the artist