Studio in Art - Quarter 3
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 hone their persuasive oral and writing, information-gathering, and justification skills.
Watch these two Critique Videos and complete the 2 Worksheets
1st Video: Click on this link and Watch this Video and complete the worksheet below while you watch. There is a clickable download for the worksheet to Print it. Video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFXQgRd4UZ0
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2nd Video: Click on this link and Watch this 2nd Video and complete the worksheet below while you watch. There is a clickable download for the worksheet to Print it. Video here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIBeTx9zMa4
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Class Assignment: Students are supplied with the following information on a handout and must write an art critique on one of their classmate's recent Oil Pastel artworks of the Vegetable and Fruit Still Life: If you were absent please come after school to make this up, or, when I post a few photos of the classes work, you may use the guide below and critique the work downloaded here at home.
The 4 Steps of An Art Critique
Tips for writing or speaking during an Art Critique
Below is a sample set of focus questions for an art critique related to four major areas of art criticism: description, analysis, interpretation, judgment. (The number of questions and aspects of specificity will vary according to the art form and number of works in the critique). Use the questions as they apply to the art you are looking at, write full sentences, in paragraph form. You don't have to answer all the questions, just the ones that you can.
Step #1; Description; Describe the work without using value words such as "beautiful" or "ugly":
Step #2; Analysis; Describe how the work is organized as a complete composition: How do the Principles of Design show up in the work? Principles of Design are (CUBE VAMP) Contrast, Unity, Balance, Emphasis, Variety, And ,Movement, Pattern (or rhythm)
Step #3; Interpretation; Describe how the work makes you think or feel:
Step 4; Judgment or Evaluation; Present your opinion of the work's success or failure:
Step #1; Description; Describe the work without using value words such as "beautiful" or "ugly":
- What is the title and who is (are) the artist(s)?
- When and where (and perhaps why) was the work created? State the history and situation surrounding the artist as they did the piece. This can include the origins of where the piece was found if the artist is unknown.
- State the influence the artist was considering while doing the piece (perhaps they were studying the work of the painter VanGogh). Describe how their influence/s affected the piece.
- Describe the elements of the work (elements are line, shape, form, space (negative and positive), color, value, and texture).
- Describe the technical qualities of the work (i.e., tools used, materials-paint, paper? pencil?).
- Describe the subject matter, what does it show, what is it all about? Are there recognizable images?
Step #2; Analysis; Describe how the work is organized as a complete composition: How do the Principles of Design show up in the work? Principles of Design are (CUBE VAMP) Contrast, Unity, Balance, Emphasis, Variety, And ,Movement, Pattern (or rhythm)
- How is the work constructed or planned (i.e., acts, movements, lines)?
- Identify some of the similarities throughout the work (i.e., repetition of lines, colors, shapes).
- Identify some of the points of emphasis in the work (i.e., specific scene, figure, movement).
- If the work has subjects or characters, what are the relationships between or among them?
- Discuss how an "Element" creates the "Principle" for example : "Unity is created because color blue is repeated in different values throughout the artwork."
Step #3; Interpretation; Describe how the work makes you think or feel:
- How each technical element contributes to the mood, meaning and aesthetic sensation of the artwork.
- Describe the expressive qualities you find in the work. What expressive language would you use to describe the qualities (i.e., tragic, ugly, sad, )? for an emotions list cut and paste this address: http://thework.com/sites/thework/downloads/worksheets/Emotions_List_Ltr.pdf
- Does the work remind you of other things you have experienced (analogy or metaphor)?
- How does the work relate to other ideas or events in the world and/or in your other studies?
- Explain what you feel is the artist's intended purpose for creating that particular work of art. Examine why the artist made the choices in technique, materials and subject matter and how they relate to the intended purpose.
- Identify symbols in the artwork and describe how they relate to the artist's technical choices and contribute to the artist's execution of the intended purpose.
- Summarize the strongest message the piece could be conveying in one decisive statement.
Step 4; Judgment or Evaluation; Present your opinion of the work's success or failure:
- 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?
- State what you think the artwork's value is. For example, its value may be to evoke nostalgia, to incite anger or to impart beauty. Explain why you feel this way.
- Explain where you feel the artwork has strong value and where you think it falls short.
- Describe the artwork's relevance to the art community and to people as a whole.
- Say how this piece comes across to you:
- What do you think could be done better?
- What have you gained through examining this picture?
- How is this picture unique in its composition?
- Why didn't the artist do it that way?
- What do you think could be done better?