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Art Criticism is the process of carefully studying, interpreting, gathering facts for understanding, and judging art works. An art critic is a person who practices art criticism. If you practice art criticism, it can lead to improvements in your own work, help you examine and understand the artwork of others, and help you gain a better understanding for all types of art. The four steps for acting as an art critic are 1. Describing what is in the artwork 2. Analyzing how it is designed or put together 3. Interpreting its meaning 4. Judging its success. When you describe realistic artworks, you must first look at the 1. Size and medium 2. Subject, objects, and details 3. Describe the elements and principles When you describe abstract artworks, you must look at the elements and principles for meaning. Analyzing art works refers to noticing how the principles are used to organize the elements (color, line, shape, form, texture, and space). As you interpret work, you will determine and explain the meaning, mood, or idea of art. Interpreting realistic and abstract artworks requires that you ask questions that begin with who, what, where, when, why, or how. Sometimes you must be very observant and think outside of the box to figure out the meaning of art. Judging artworks requires that you ask two questions. IS the art good or successful? Why? Judging means making a decision about a work's success or lack of success and giving reasons to support that decision. Fine art is created for viewing purposes. It cannot be used in your everyday life other than for mere decoration. For example, a picture of a kitty painted by your Aunt Sally can only be used to hang in your room. Hand-made paintings or sculptures are examples of fine art. Because aesthetic views differ from person to person, there are many ways to judge fine art - Aunt Sally's painting. Some people believe that art is successful based on one or more of the following: 1. its ability to imitate reality...Does the art show realism? 2. the composition...Did the artist use the elements and principles in an effective manner? 3. its mood or feeling expressed...Do I feel any emotion as I look at the artwork? Applied art is functional. It is useful in your everyday life. For example, a scarf knitted by your Aunt Sally may be worn to keep you warm. A hand-made scarf, chair, fruit bowl, etc. are examples of applied art. There are five steps for looking at applied art. 1. Describing 2. Analyzing 3. Interpreting 4. Judging 5. Determining Functionality - Does it work? |