1. Art Criticism

2. Bellwork 1/9/18 Copy these terms in your sketchbook:
craftsmanship – The act of working carefully and skillfully with your hands.
medium – The material art is made from, eg. clay or paint
subject matter – The main topic, theme, or image in a work of art.
aesthetics - a set of principles underlying and guiding the work of a particular artist or artistic movement

3. What is an art critic?
What do you think of when you think of a critic?
Do you think of someone who is mean and finds everything they can wrong with an artwork?

4. All About Art Critics
For Ceramics

5. WHAT IS AN ART CRITIC?
People who analyze art with a certain process. They usually evaluate the aesthetics of the art and it’s success.

6. Anyone can be an art critic!
Art criticism is the process of evaluating artworks.
The process does not have to be negative.
In art criticism you follow four steps to make a judgment about an artworks success.

7. Why art criticism?
Art criticism allows you to judge an artwork more objectively.
This allows you to make a judgment that is based on factual information instead of simply opinion.
Making judgments based on fact instead of opinion is much stronger and more thorough way of looking at artworks. ?

8. When do I use art criticism?
Art criticism is appropriate to use whenever you are asked to judge an artwork.
With a few changes it could also be used to judge music, literature or drama.
The process prepares you for making other judgments such as decisions about major purchases such as cars and homes. The more you practice making a educated informed judgment, the easier it will be for you to make important decisions!

9. All About Art Critiques
For Ceramics

10. WHAT IS AN ART CRITIQUE?
WHAT? An in depth discussion about a piece of art that evaluates its success.
(Topics of discussion might be: subject matter, color choices, texture, composition effectiveness, emotional impact and what the artist seems to have intended.)
WHY? It is enlightening for the artist to hear how others react to any piece of artwork.

11. Informal Critique
An informal critique is usually a one-on-one verbal discussion about the artist’s work between peers, from a more experienced artist or a friendly critic. To be of any use to the artist, this discussion should be educational, thought provoking, constructive and encouraging.

12. Formal Critique
A formal critique is a learning tool that is used in art schools and professional art associations where an artist places their work on display for comment by their peers or from more experienced artists. A critique is a learning experience like no other, but it can be brutal to an artist's ego.

13. Describe what you think a critique will look like.
What could go wrong?
What could go right?

14. our critiques are successful
When being critiqued, you need to: Put your ego aside and take notes.
I will focus on constructive criticism.
When critiquing, you need to: focus on the positive and participate.
I will focus on facilitating a constructive environment.
Use I WONDER statements: “I wonder what their intent was behind putting this line here?”
 TAKE HEART!!!
Here are
a few ways
we can
make sure
our critiques are successful

15. Use the Sandwich Method
Something you like…
Because…
Work on this…
Add this to improve…
Something else you like…

16. REMEMBER!

17. All About Art Criticism
For Ceramics

18. WHAT IS ART CRITICISM?
The discussion or evaluation of visual art. It should be done in a four-step process: describing, analyzing, interpreting and deciding.

19. Four Steps to Art Criticism
Step One- Describing
Step Two- Analyzing
Step Three- Interpreting
Step Four- Judging

20. You should critique art in four ways:
DESCRIBE
ANALYZE
List everything that you see. If you don’t know what it is, ask yourself. Form, “I wonder…” statements.
What do I see?
Explain how the things you see are being used in the work. “I think the artist use this to…”
How are lines, shapes, or other elements used?
Eye movement?

21. You should critique art in four ways:
INTERPRET
DECIDE
Make guesses about what the artist did. “I think the artist did this because…”
What is going on in the artwork?
How does it make you feel?
Make a value judgment. Form an opinion on the artwork.
Did the artist accomplish their goal?
What did the artist do best?

22. Now you try
Use the artwork on the next slide to complete the four step art criticism process!

23. Credit Line- Crystal Morey – The Human Animal Relationship

24. Step 1- Describing
In the first step you give a description of the artwork. You explain-
Size, Medium, and Process (found in credit line of artwork!)
Subject and Objects in the artwork (tell what you see)
3 Elements of Art (be sure to explain how the artist used them!

25. Step 3- Interpreting
In this step you explain the mood or meaning of an artwork.
Be sure to explain and justify your answer, don’t just put “the artwork looks sad”!

26. Step 2- Analyzing
In this step you explain how the artist organized the artwork (the composition.)
Choose three principles of design and be sure to explain how the artist used them with the elements of art!!

27. Step 4- Judging
In the final step you make a judgment of whether or not the artwork is successful based on one of three aesthetic views-
View #1- Subject- The artwork is successful only if it is realistic.
View #2- Content- The artwork is successful if it creates a strong mood or feeling.
View #3- Composition- The artwork is successful if the artist successfully used the elements and principles together to make a good composition.
Remember you only pick one view and you justify you answer!!

28. On your own…
Let’s walk through the handout together as you analyze the piece of pottery on your table.