Formal Analysis and Critique
developed by Caroline Battle
“Writer Henry James once proposed three questions you could
productively put to an artist’s work. The first two were disarmingly
straightforward: What was the artist trying to achieve? Did
he/she succeed? The third’s a zinger: Was is worth doing?”
-From Art & Fear, By David Bayles and Ted Orland
Description: Naming
Describe the work without using value words (beautiful, ugly, good, bad)- avoid
using the phrase “I like”
Name the elements of the work (line, movement, space, light, relationship)
Name the technical qualities (materials, craft)
Describe the subject matter. What is it about?
Analysis: Relationship of Parts
Describe how the work is organized as a complete composition.
How is the work constructed or planned?
Identify some points of emphasis.
Interpretation
Describe how the work makes you feel.
What are the expressive qualities that stand out to you? What adjectives would
you use to describe them? (tragic, humorous, etc.)
Does the work remind you of things you’ve seen or experienced before?
(analogy, metaphor)
How does the work relate to other ideas or events in the world, or issues in your
other studies?
Judgment/Evaluation
Present your opinions of the work’s success, potentials or challenges.
What could be improved, carried further or emphasized?
Compare it with other people’s works to make a point.
How original is the piece?
Remember:
*Critique is not about tearing each other down. Rather, we are learning and
helping each other understand what makes a piece of art successful or
unsuccessful. It is the role of the artist to gain feedback from peers to inform
future work. It is the role of the critics to give helpful insight and perspective
about the work presented.
***It is useful to have someone take notes for you during your critique so you can
listen and respond at the time, but have something to refer back to later as a
reminder of what was said.