Name: __________________________
Choose one piece from a current show of art at a local gallery, or at an art museum. Use the guidelines below to describe and help you understand the piece. The title of the piece, the name of the artist, and the gallery or museum where it was viewed, must be included.
The finished critique may be submitted on a separate piece of paper, and must be typed. The length of the review should be at least one page in length. If you choose to use this form instead, statements and opinions must be given ( except when I have given provision for Yes/No answers ) - merely answering YES or NO, results in NO CREDIT for that answer. Write legibly, and use a pen. Illegibly-written papers will be returned, ungraded.
Title ___________________________________________________________________
Artist __________________________________________________________________
Gallery _________________________________________________________________
Description of Piece :
What is the medium ( material ) out of which it is constructed ?
What is the size, shape and dimensions ?
What kinds of colors are used – naturalistic or unusual? Is the piece generally dark or bright ?
Is there a wide value range – strong darks and strong brights, or is it muted, washed-out ?
What kind of mood do the values and colors create ?
Composition and Design :
Is the position of the objects ( positive shapes ) in relation to the background , well-planned ?
Or does the overall design seem haphazard, disorganized, or arbitrary ?
Does the piece seem busy and cluttered, or at the other extreme, somehow empty or un-finished ?
Is the technique(s) used, consistent throughout the piece ? Yes ____ No ____
Does the design lead your eye around the picture, moving from area to area, or does your gaze seem to wander out of the work ?
Treatment :
How is the subject portrayed ? Is it representational ( a realistic likeness ) or non-representational ( abstract ) ?
If it is representational, how would you judge the work – do you find it convincing ?
Why or why not ? Is there some distortion or exaggeration of proportions ?
( Give the artist the benefit of the doubt that this may be done intentionally – as an expressive device, and not because of lack of skill ) Why do you think the artist chose this way of working ? ( Is it possible that the artist is conveying something about the subject that would not be possible to show, in a technically " correct" representation ) ?
Atmosphere :
How does the piece make you feel ? What kind of mood does the piece evoke in you ?
Do you think that this was the artist’s intent ? Yes ____ No ____
Theme or meaning :
What is the subject matter of the piece ?
Is the subject obvious ? If not, does the title of the piece, or some part of the piece, reveal possible answers ?
Is the work a neutral and impersonal observation of a situation or moment in time, or is the artist reacting to something ?
How does the manner in which the subject is portrayed reflect the artist’s attitude ?
Is the treatment of the subject appropriate for this piece ? Yes ____ No ____
If not, do you think the artist is using irony or paradox to make a point ?
Intent:
What do you think the artist means to say with this piece ?
Does the title give you any clues ? Yes ____ No ____
How does he/she convey this message ? Does the artist succeed in conveying the message - why or why not ?
What is the artist’s attitude to the subject ? Is the artist : neutral, favorable or hostile to the subject ?
Is the artist using the piece as social commentary on the human condition or a specific topic that stirs his/her emotions ?
Are they affirming or condemning a belief ? Is the artist is attempting to incite the audience to action, or challenging their beliefs ?
If the work is provocative to you, do you think that this was done for shock value, or rather, to persuade you to change your mind about the subject or issue ?
Your reaction:
How do you feel about the subject matter ?
What kind of reaction – emotional and / or intellectual - do you have to this piece ?
Do you think this was intentional ? Do you think that the artist wanted you to react in this way ?
Aesthetic validity:
Is this work valid, and why or why not ?
Remember that your answer should not be based solely on your own tastes, which may not be shared by the creator of the work. Detach yourself from your own aesthetic tastes and let the work be judged based on its own merits, its own criteria. Compare it to other works that were done in a similar style, or to works by other artists with similar concerns.
Is there is a consistency between subject matter and the way it’s portrayed, does the viewer respond to the work in the desired way, does the work possess its own inner logic ?