Before we get into our regular lessons this semester, I want to spend some time talking about art. Have you ever tried to define the term art? Or, have you ever thought about how you determine what art is or isn't? Most of us just go by whether or not we like it.
Although today the word art usually refers to the visual arts, the concept of what art is has continuously changed over the centuries. The word "art" comes from the Latin "ars" which loosely translated, means "arrangement" or "to arrange".
Perhaps the most concise definition is its broadest – art refers to all creative human endeavors, excluding actions directly related to survival and reproduction. From a wide perspective, art is simply a generic term for any product of the creative impulse out of which sprang all other human pursuits – such as science via alchemy, and religion via shamanism.
Let's break it down a bit. First what is the function of the piece of art? In other words, what is its purpose? Well, art can be for enjoyment like paintings for your walls, going to an evening concert or merely listening to your iPod while you workout.
Art can be used to promote political or social commentary such as the Ancient Greek and Roman playwrights who used their plays to make political statements about their incompetent or corrupt officials.
Art can be therapeutic in that it is used in role playing or in counseling. It can function as an artifact. What do I mean by an artifact? Well, that means that it is a product that represents the ideas and technology of a specific time and place. In this class we will be looking at past artifacts and wondering how in the world with the technology they had did they make it? What we will find is that by understanding a time, place and culture that a piece of art was created in will provide insight into both that piece of art as well as that culture.
In this class you will be writing two Art Criticism Papers. For the first paper you will critique one piece of art, chosen from one of your three books for this class. You should start looking through your books now to determine which piece of art catches your eye or intrigues you. Everything you need to know about the requirements for both papers is outlined in the Art Criticism Instructions.
The second paper will be a comparison of a piece from your book with something contemporary. I'm always asked, what does contemporary mean? It means current, or now. In other words, choose a piece from one of your books, and it cannot be the same piece your chose for your first paper, and compare it to something from today or lets say the past 50 years. Just remember, you do not have to compare a painting to a painting. You can be creative and compare a painting to a piece of sculpture, or a movie to a building or painting. The options are limitless, again, be creative and have fun.
To help you out for when you are conducting your research for your papers, I want to spend a few minutes talking about four of the major areas of art criticism: Description, Analysis, Interpretation and Judgment. Of course it will vary depending on the art form being critiqued but here are a few questions that you will want to consider when researching your topic.
What is the title and who is the artist or artists?
When and where was the work created?
Describe the elements of the work (i.e., color, line movement, light, space, etc.)
Describe the technical qualities of the work (i.e., tools, materials, instruments, etc.)
Describe the subject matter. What is it about? What was the purpose?
How is the work constructed or planned (i.e., acts, movements, lines)? Describe the composition (color, line, shape). Is it balanced? Is it symmetrical or asymmetrical?
Identify some of the similarities throughout the work (i.e., specific scene, figure movement).
If the work has subjects or characters, what are the relationships between or among them?
What does the piece say about the time and place in which it was made?
This is the School of Athens by Raphael. Notice how the viewer is drawn into the center of the piece. He did this by having Aristotle and Plato in the center and he chose to use complementary colors for their robes. By dressing Plato in orange and Aristotle in blue it draws your eye to the two most important characters in the scene.
In Gian Lorenzo Bernini's Apollo and Daphne, many parts of the sculpture reach out into space. That means the surrounding space also reaches into the sculpture. In three dimensional artworks, the mass of the sculpture must work with the space or void around it. The ground space can affect our point of view and sense of scale.
An example of symmetrical composition would be Cimabue's Madonna Enthroned. The flanking angels are prefect reflections, but the throne, as well as the Virgin and Child are slightly turned towards the side. The focal point is still in the center; this is symmetry in artistic terms. You will find that symmetrical composition tend to be stable static and iconic.
Texture and light work together in an artwork and an artist can manipulate one to affect the other. The museum curator's job is to select proper lighting to display the work as the artist intended without causing long-term light damage. Donatello's cast bronze David has a very smooth face while Goliath's beard is rough; this helps the view distinguish their ages.
How does it make you feel? Why?
What was the artist's intended message? What message do you get from the work?
Describe the expressive qualities you find in the work.
What expressive language would you use to describe the qualities (i.e., tragic, ugly, funny, etc.)?
Does the work remind you of other things (i.e., metaphor or analogy)?
How does the work relate to other ideas or events in the world…past and present?
Edvard Munch's The Scream is a great painting to attempt to interpret. Munch was a Norwegian expressionist artist. There are several interpretations as to what is happening in this scene, some say that Munch was influence d by his manic depressive sister who was interned in a mental hospital while he was painting this. Others say that the eruption of Krakatoa in 1993 caused intense sunsets through Europe and they feel that Munch was trying to capture it in his pictures. Yet others state that Munch was influenced by a Peruvian mummy which he was at an Exposition in Paris.
We also have Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. Starry Night was painted by Vincent was in the asylum at Saint-Remy and his behavior was erratic. There is a possibility that the story of Joseph in the Old Testament may have had an influence on the composition of the work.
'Look, I have had another dream' he said, 'I thought I saw the sun, the moon and eleven stars, bowing to me.' Genesis 37:9 whatever the interpretations or underlying meanings, Starry Night stands out as one of the most important works of art produced in the nineteenth century.
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?
This review should help you when writing your art criticism papers. Don't forget that the instructions require both some research and your personal opinion.
In conclusion, art expresses ideas and experiences of our human existence…not all good, not all beautiful.