CEREMONIAL
Artworks created to support worship ceremonies (rituals
and celebrations).
ARTISTIC EXPRESSION
Artworks to express or communicate emotions, ideas,
feelings, or to decorate objects.
NARRATIVE
Artworks that tell stories, describe and illustrate
experiences, communicate information, or document
historical events.
FUNCTIONAL
Artistic objects used in everyday life
PERSUASIVE
Artworks that promote ideas, philosophies, or products.
SUBJECT MATTER
The objects represented in the artwork.
It can be…
REPRESENTATIONAL
Clearly represents a specific subject
ABSTRACT
Taking a subject matter and breaking it
down into shapes, lines, colors, and
textures.
NON OBJECTIVE
No recognizable subject matter. Only
line, shape, and colors are used.
In a non-objective artwork the
ELEMENTS become the subject
matter.
What TYPE of subject matter?
Jackson Polluck, Lavender Mist, 1950
OBJECTIVE
ABSTRACT
NON-OBJECTIVE
What TYPE of subject matter?
Pablo Picasso, The Three Musicians, 1921
OBJECTIVE
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT
NON-OBJECTIVE
What TYPE of subject matter?
Dorothea Lange, The Migrant Mother, 1936
OBJECTIVE
OBJECTIVE
ABSTRACT
NON-OBJECTIVE
What is an ART
CRITICISM?
 An ORGANIZED
approach for studying a work
of art.
PROFESSIONAL
Professionals use criteria to evaluate the work of
an artist and give their expert opinion.
STUDENT
Students evaluate the pros and cons in their
work and the work of their peers. Give positive
and constrictive feedback in order to IMPROVE.
How to become an art critic
 Be highly respected. Having a higher
degree such as a PhD in Art history or
Art Theory helps.
 It helps to have an outlet to share your voice
such as a job as a journalist or columnist.
 You visit gallery openings and follow the ART
CRITICISM process when you write reviews.
ART CRITICISM
DESCRIPTION
PROCESS
What do I see?
ANALYSIS
How is the work organized?
INTERPRETATION
What is the artist trying to
communicate?
JUDGMENT
Is this a successful work of art?
DESCRIPTION
What do I see?
 When you describe an artwork, you identify
the things about the work that you can see
(the visual FACTS---BE SPECIFIC)!
 You should not include opinions, evaluations,
or possible meanings.
ANALYSIS
How is the artwork ORGANIZED?
 Break down the painting into its composition,
or the way the art principles are used to
organize the art elements.
INTERPRETATION
What is the artist trying to COMMUNICATE?
 An interpretation seeks to explain the
meaning of the work based on what you
have learned so far about the artwork, what
do you think the artist was trying to say? Use
the information from your description and
analysis to help you.
JUDGMENT
Is the work SUCCESSFUL?
 After careful observation, analysis, and
interpretation of an artwork, you are ready to
make your own judgment. This is your personal
evaluation based on the understandings of
the work(s).
A. IMITATIONALISM: Literal qualities
Focuses on a REALISTIC representation of the
work.
B.
FORMALISM: Design qualities
Composition(the arrangement and placement of
the elements and principles) is the most important
factor in judging the artwork.
C.
EMOTIONALISM Expressive qualities
Concerned with the content of the work. It must
arouse an emotional response in the viewer.
You can better organize your work.
(stronger composition)
Plan your work better therefore increase
communication with your viewer.
You learn how to communicate about your work.