Critiques What are they and why do we use them?

What is a critique? A critique is an oral or written discussion strategy used to analyze, describe, and interpret works of art. Critiques help students strengthen their communication, information-gathering, and justification skills. A critique is an oral or written discussion strategy used to analyze, describe, and interpret works of art. Critiques help students strengthen their communication, information-gathering, and justification skills.

GROSS! I Like it. I Don’t Get It! Huh?? It is natural for us to have a reaction or an opinion when we experience something. That “thing” may be a song, or a taste, or a smell. In this class, it will most often be a reaction to a picture or image.

 These reactions are natural and we can’t really help it. Often our comments are subjective, which means that they are based on our personal taste. But, in a critique it is often more valuable if the thoughts are objective.

Objective Vs. Subjective Objective Information is… Observable: It can be seen, heard, touched, etc. It tends to be factual, something that can be counted or imitated. It is information that would be similar in multiple reports. It is helpful in decision making and is as close to truth as we can get. Objective Language I see… I count… I observe… The lines are… The color is… It sounded like…

Objective Vs. Subjective Subjective Information is… Opinion, judgmental, assumption, belief, rumor. It varies from person to person. It is a question of personal taste and interest. It is rarely helpful in decision making. Subjective Language I thought… I feel… I think… I do not like…

Formal and Informal  In this art class some of our critiques will be formal while others will be informal. Formal critiques are more structured and we will write these critiques down on paper. Our informal critiques will be said out loud and discussed openly as a class.

The Four Steps  Describe  Analyze  Interpret  Judge

Describe  When starting a critique you want to first describe what you are looking at. This includes objects you can identify like figures or objects. Describe the work without using value words such as "beautiful" or “ugly”.

Description  Title, (Date), Artist  When and where was the work created?  Describe the subject matter. What is it all about? Are there recognizable images?

Analyze  Describe how the work is organized as a complete composition

Analysis  How is the work constructed or planned?  Identify some of the similarities throughout the work.  Identify some of the points of emphasis in the work  If the work has subjects or characters, what are the relationships between or among them?

Interpret  Describe what your reaction or thoughts are to the piece. What does the piece mean to you?

Interpretation  Describe the expressive qualities you find in the work. What expressive language would you use to describe the qualities (i.e., tragic, ugly, funny)?  Does the work remind you of other things you have experienced (i.e., analogy or metaphor)?  How does the work relate to other ideas or events in the world and/or in your other studies?

Judgment  Present your opinion of the work's success or failure

Judgment  What qualities of the work make you feel it is a success or failure?  Compare it with similar works that you think are good or bad.  What criteria can you list to help others judge this work?  How original is the work? Why do you feel this work is original or not original?

 Great, so now what?

Lets take a look… Let’s take a look at the picture at the right. After seeing the image we want to then take a look at the information, or TITLE BLOCK, that accompanies it. Isabella and the Pot of Basil John White Alexander 1897 Oil on canvas x cm (75 5/8 x 36 1/8 in.). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Although the image should be our focal piece, the Title Block MAY provide us with important information Although the image should be our focal piece, the Title Block MAY provide us with important information Isabella and the Pot of Basil John White Alexander 1897 Oil on canvas x cm (75 5/8 x 36 1/8 in.). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Isabella and the Pot of Basil John White Alexander 1897 Oil on canvas x cm (75 5/8 x 36 1/8 in.). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Title Artist Date the work was completed Medium Size Current Location

Getting Started  Once you have looked at the piece and read the information that may be provided, it is time to focus our attention. In an informal critique we may start by asking a question. In a Formal critique we may start with a statement. Let’s keep it informal for now….

Formulate a question There are lots of questions you might ask, here are a few examples… There are lots of questions you might ask, here are a few examples…  Who is Isabella?  Is the Pot of Basil Important, why?  What inspired the artist to paint this?  Why is the lighting so dramatic?  Let this question help guide you as you examine the painting

Describe what you see  Next, start describing the image…  There is a woman dressed in a long flowing robe of white and black. Her hand is raised towards a ceramic pot. There are white flowers near the pot as well as on the floor…..

Analyze the Composition  Begin to break down the picture in regards to the elements and principles of design  The image is vertical and life size. There is very limited color. The entire piece is very lifelike with exacting detail of texture and form. There is very intense contrast of value and the emphasis is on the hand, arm, and pot.

Interpret possible meaning  Now start making connections, and if necessary, do some more research  I get a feeling of remorse, loss, loneliness, and secrecy in the piece…oh, it is based on a poem about this woman who… Then in a silken scarf, - sweet with the dews Of precious flowers pluck’d in Araby, And divine liquids come with odorous ooze Through the cold serpent pipe refreshfully, - She wrapp’d it up; and for its tomb did choose A garden-pot, wherein she laid it by, And cover’d it with mould, and o’er it set Sweet Basil, which her tears kept ever wet.

Finally, pass Judgment  This is perhaps the hardest part as we will need to start collecting reasons for what we value in art…  Aesthetics  Historical significance  Technique  Emotional Response  Intellectual Response