Some questions to ask…
We have discussed some possibilities of
what art is, from a cave painting to
golden squares. Since art forms have
evolved over time from traditional to
more abstract works, a better question
may be:
 When is it art?
Some questions to ask…
 Under what circumstances do things like
stuffed goats or ceramic briefcases become
art?
 What is required for anything to be classified
as art?
Philosophy of Art
The study of art that involves
asking and answering all kinds
of questions about art
Philosophers of art are
interested in more than what art
is…
They want to know:
 How can art be evaluated?
 How do people respond to art?
 How does art relate to our lives &
societies?
Asking good questions is often more
important than finding the answer, as
there are multiple answers to
philosophical questions.
Some questions cannot be answered
at all, but the process of searching for
answers leads to creative thinking.
Now back to one of our original
questions: When is an object
considered art?
What do artworks have in
common?
 Since materials and forms vary
so greatly, we cannot
determine if a work is art based
on these things alone.
 Think back to the art quiz
objects in chapter 1…What do
these objects have in common
that make them art?
Design
 Good design, a logical & harmonious
relationship among all parts of an
artwork, is important to consider. Design
is the plan the artist uses to organize the
art elements (line, shape, form, space,
color, value, texture) in a work of art to
achieve a unified composition.
 The opposite of good design is chaos.
But what about objects that are not
artworks that have good design, such
as a real briefcase?
Is it possible to determine whether an
object is art, strictly based on its
materials, form or design? Why?
The Aesthetic Experience
The theory of perceiving and enjoying
something for its beauty and
pleasurable qualities. This is what
tries to categorize & explain our
responses to art forms.
Is viewing an artwork the only way to
have an aesthetic experience?
On the other hand, is it possible to tell
if something is not an artwork because
it does not give you an aesthetic
experience?
Intentions and Art
 Philosophers agree that human
intention is necessary in determining
when something is art.
 But who is qualified to do the
intending?
The Art World
 Art varies in its forms from ancient
cave paintings to traditional landscape
paintings.
 We have no trouble determining these
things are works of art.
The Art World
 Useful objects and experimental forms
raise questions.
 In the final analysis, there is no
scientific method for determining
when something is art.
The Art World
 Good Design
 The Aesthetic Experience
and
 Human Intention
Are important in determining when
something is art.
But ultimately…
The Art World
…it’s a matter of judgment.
Who makes the judgments?
The Art World
 PEOPLE: artists, dealers, collectors,
art critics, museum directors and art
teachers
 These people make up the ART WORLD
The Art World
 Not only are they involved in the
production of art, but also selling it,
collecting it, displaying it, writing
about it and teaching it.
 Their training, experience and
commitment give them the authority
to make judgments.
The Art World
 Do these people ever make bad
judgments? Sometimes, yes.
 Some of these experts are called art
critics.
Criticism & Critics
 What comes to your mind when you
think of criticism?
 Are they positive thoughts or negative?
Criticism & Critics
 Criticism is simply a discussion of the
characteristics of something, be it
positive or negative.
 Art criticism is a systematic discussion
of an artwork involving four steps:
1) Description, 2) Analysis,
3)Interpretation and 4) Judgment
Professional Criticism
 These can be found in newspapers,
magazines, on radio, television and the
Internet.
 A criticism is also a review.
 Professional critics get paid to write these
reviews.
 Reviews help consumers decide on whether or
not they want to spend time or money on the
product being reviewed, since they give a
better basis than an advertisement or
someone’s opinion.
 Good criticism also educates us and
challenges our tastes.
Nonprofessional Art Criticism
 If pros are getting paid to criticize
artworks, why should we do it?
Nonprofessional Art Criticism
 It’s good training and helps you learn
about the field of art.
 Doing your own criticism engages you in
making selections, discovering new things
in both familiar and unfamiliar works of
art, and helps you develop your own
taste.
 Criticism helps you to organize knowledge
so you can share it with others.
Nonprofessional Art Criticism
 Artworks, like films, often deal will life
issues. Analyzing the information helps
you generate ideas for sharing and
discussion about your own life.
 The more you learn about art and the
ideas it expresses, the more you learn
about yourself and your own ideas and
feelings.
A Critical Method
Description
The first step in art criticism where facts
about the work are gathered such as
objects, people, shapes and colors.
It is also important to notate which
elements of art are used to express the
subject matter.
A Critical Method
Description
It is also important to notate which elements of
art are used to express the subject matter.
A Critical Method
Analysis
The second step in art criticism where the
relationship among the facts~ the objects,
subject matter, elements of art~ is
examined. How are the elements
organized? It is important to look at the
principles of design when the work is
analyzed.
A Critical Method
Analysis
Composition refers to the way the elements
of art have been organized using the
principles of design.
When analyzing, we must look at how the
artist composed the work.
A Critical Method
Analysis
How are the elements organized? It is
important to look at the principles of design
when the work is analyzed.
A Critical Method
Interpretation
Explaining the meaning or mood
of a work of art.
What is it expressing? What is its content?
A Critical Method
Evaluation
Determining the quality or lasting impression
of a work of art
There is a difference between personal
feelings and public value of a work.
So what criteria should we use?
A Critical Method
Evaluation
We must look at the design quality.
Formalism~ an aesthetic theory that uses the
elements of art and principles of design to
analyze works of art
Expressiveness~ an aesthetic theory that refers
to how effectively a work reflects a theme
or world view
A Critical Method
Evaluation
Finally, how original is it? Has the idea been expressed in a
similar way before? How inventive is the work?
Your reasons must stem from the from the information you
gathered and analysis you assembled in the first three
steps.