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All of Benjy's Classes Raster Graphics Vector Graphics Jr/SR Design Studio I Art Portfolio Web Graphics Printmaking Digital Photography Functions of Art JR/SR Design Studio II Selected Topics Senior Exhibit Art Appreciation

Critical Analysis

(20 points)

In today's TV society, people are accustomed to instant gratification. We surf the channels giving each program a couple of seconds to spark our interest, then immediately move on if it doesn't seem to light our fire. When evaluating art, we need to strive to have a different mindset. We have to "pay the price of admission" by investing the time necessary to effectively analyze a piece. Initial impressions, although powerful are not always correct. Malcolm Gladwell's book Blink discusses the powers and problems posed by our unconcious and immediate reactions that precede measured thought. Take some time to really look at the work.

An applied critical method is used by critics, students, teachers and lovers of the arts, and it is an essential tool for "experiencing" art. If one was to always rely upon their initial response to value a piece a lot of great work would be overlooked. By discounting or ignoring works that can't be instantly understood and enjoyed, the experiencer will miss out on a tremendous amount of extremely significant and important art.

Assignment

Analyze one work of art thoroughly. Begin by searching for an image on the web that you want to know more about. Don't go to the first thing you find, or even to an image that you already like! Remember, in this program, we're constantly trying to challenge ourselves, to leave our comfort zones.

For instance, is this an image that you would naturally gravitate to? It's an important work of art, housed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Post an image of the piece you are going to analyze in the forum. Before writing your analysis, take the time to consider the following questions.

What do I actually see?

What materials are present? (What colors, textures, media, etc...) At this point things like titles, artist names, dates, or other "factual" knowledge have little importance. These things can later add to the enjoyment or overall understanding of a work..... after you realize what the work communicates to you. Once you have identified these aspects of a work ask yourself:

How does this work make me feel? Does it evoke emotions of anger, sadness, wonder, joy, indifference, patriotism, fear, power, love, anxiety, etc... What moods are ignited when you listen to good jazz, see a film, or consider a painting?

The Process

Write your Critical Analysis in Four Sections, as described below.

Description
Describe the work without using value words such as "beautiful" or "ugly":

What is the written description on the label or in the program about the work?
What is the title and who is (are) the artist(s)?
When and where was the work created?
Describe the elements of the work (i.e., line movement, light, space).
Describe the technical qualities of the work (i.e., tools, materials, instruments).
Describe the subject matter. What is it all about? Are there recognizable images?

Analysis
Describe how the work is organized as a complete composition:

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, two songs in each act).
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?

Interpretation
Describe how the work makes you think or feel:

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 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?

Here are some links that may help:

Elements of Art

Description, Analysis, Interpretation, Evaluation (Judgment)

Kennedy Center

Papers must be submitted as attachments to a post in the forum. They will be assessed using this Rubric:

CATEGORY	Excellent (4)	Good (3)	Average (2)	Below average (1)
Description	Makes a complete and detailed description of the subject matter and/or elements seen in a work.	Makes a detailed description of most of the subject matter and/or elements seen in a work.	Makes a detailed description of some of the subject matter and/or elements seen in a work.	Descriptions are not detailed or complete.
Analysis	Accurately describes several dominant elements or principles used by the artist and accurately relates how they are used by the artist to reinforce the theme, meaning, mood, or feeling of the artwork.	Accurately describes a couple of dominant elements and principles used by the artist and accurately relates how these are used by the artist to reinforce the theme, meaning, mood, or feeling of the artwork.	Describes some dominant elements and principles used by the artist, but has difficulty describing how these relate to the meaning or feeling of the artwork.	Has trouble picking out the dominant elements.
Interpretation	Forms a somewhat reasonable hypothesis about the symbolic or metaphorical meaning and is able to support this with evidence from the work.	Student identifies the literal meaning of the work.	Student can relate how the work makes him/her feel personally.	Student finds it difficult to interpret the meaning of the work.
Evaluation	Uses multiple criteria to judge the artwork, such as composition, expression, creativity, design, communication of ideas.	Uses 1-2 criteria to judge the artwork.	Tries to use aesthetic criteria to judge artwork, but does not apply the criteria accurately.	Evaluates work as good or bad based on personal taste.
Mechanics	Topic and paper are submitted ON TIME, correct format, with NO ERRORS of spelling, grammar, capitalization, or punctuation.	One of the criteria was not met	Two criteria were not met.	Three or more criteria were not met.