Critiquing a work of art with examples
Critiquing a work of art is like taking it apart and discussing each component of it, carefully analyzing the elements of art and principles of design that make up the art work. There are many ways in which an artwork can be critiqued but very often students are exposed to the Feldman’s Four step method.
This will be the method we guide you through in critiquing a work of art. We will use the painting 'Worker’s Past time' by Alexander Cooper as an example.
Disclaimer- The information used regarding the painting is not accurate, this is simple an example. Please do an accurate search of the artwork if you wish to use it for your own art critique.
Describe- Point out all the surface information such as the title of the artwork, artist name, date created, size, medium, location and genre. Include a description of the objects/scene that you have identified. Do not guess if you cannot identify the object/image.
Note- If you are critiquing the same artist’s work, you need not repeat the genre unless the work really does fall into another genre. In this section you pretty much talk about the physicals you see in the work of art
Example- This artwork is entitled ‘Worker’s past time’ and was done by Alexander Cooper . The artwork was done in 1991, measures 34x34 cm and is acrylic on canvas. The representational painting can be found in the personal collection of the Mutual Gallery. The artwork shows a group of people engaged in various activities at a work site...
Analyze- You will now focus on the elements of art and principles of design present the work. You do not need to list all the elements and principles you know, just the ones present in the work of art. Give examples as to how the elements are being used.
Example- There are various elements of art that are present in this art work. A few significant ones are texture and colour. Texture is used in the application of the acrylic paint to the work men’s clothing and their surroundings. The artist uses colour to indicate the time of day as well as the buildings in the background…
Interpret- With all the information you have gathered, now discuss what the work is about
How can you prove your interpretation? Keep in mind that your interpretation maybe different from another person's.
Example- This artwork is about work men taking a break from their construction duties and engaging in a game of dominoes. This is something we would see in everyday life, which is Alexander Cooper’s main theme…
Judgment- In all the previous steps you are asked to discuss the work based on facts, in this section you will include your opinion. This does not mean to simply state that you like or dislike the art work, but to state WHY you believe it to be successful or not. Be sure to utilize the elements of art as vocabulary. Avoid using words such as ‘pretty’ or ‘ugly’
Example- I believe this work of art to be pleasing because of its use of colour and texture to capture the realistic setting of a work site. It makes the viewer feel as if this place might exist in their own community, which is why this work would be a successful piece. It is something most Caribbean nationals can relate to.
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