ART CRITICISM
Defining Art Criticism
· Art criticism is responding to, interpreting meaning, and making critical judgments about specific
works of art.
· Art critics help viewers perceive, interpret, and judge artworks.
· Critics tend to focus more on modern and contemporary art from cultures close to their own.
· Art historians tend to study works made in cultures that are more distant in time and space.
· When initially introduced to art criticism, many people associate negative connotations with the
word “criticism.”
A professional art critic may be
· a newspaper reporter assigned to the art beat,
· a scholar writing for professional journals or texts, or
· an artist writing about other artists.
Journalistic criticism –
· Written for the general public, includes reviews of art exhibitions in galleries and museums.
· (Suggestions that journalistic criticism deals with art mainly to the extent that it is newsworthy.)
Scholarly art criticism
· Written for a more specialized art audience and appears in art journals.
· Scholar-critics may be college and university professors or museum curators, often with particular
knowledge about a style, period, medium, or artist.
FORMAL ANALYSIS
-Four levels of formal analysis, which you can use to explain a work of art:
1. Description = pure description of the object without value judgments, analysis,
or interpretation.
· It answers the question, “What do you see?”
· The various elements that constitute a description include:
a. Form of art whether architecture, sculpture, painting or one of the minor arts
b. Medium of work whether clay, stone, steel, paint, etc., and technique (tools used)
c. Size and scale of work (relationship to person and/or frame and/or context)
d. Elements or general shapes (architectural structural system) within the
composition, including building of post-lintel construction or painting with
several figures lined up in a row; identification of objects
e. Description of axis whether vertical, diagonal, horizontal, etc.
f. Description of line, including contour as soft, planar, jagged, etc.
g. Description of how line describes shape and space (volume); distinguish between
lines of objects and lines of composition, e.g., thick, thin, variable, irregular,
intermittent, indistinct, etc.
h. Relationships between shapes, e.g., large and small, overlapping, etc.
i. Description of color and color scheme = palette
j. Texture of surface or other comments about execution of work
k. Context of object: original location and date
2. Analysis = determining what the features suggest and deciding why the artist used such features to
convey specific ideas.
· It answers the question, “How did the artist do it?”
· The various elements that constitute analysis include:
a. Determination of subject matter through naming iconographic elements, e.g.,
historical event, allegory, mythology, etc.
b. Selection of most distinctive features or characteristics whether line, shape, color,
texture, etc.
c. Analysis of the principles of design or composition, e.g., stable, repetitious,
rhythmic, unified, symmetrical, harmonious, geometric, varied, chaotic, horizontal
or vertically oriented, etc.
d. Discussion of how elements or structural system contribute to appearance of
image or function
e. Analysis of use of light and role of color, e.g., contrasty, shadowy, illogical, warm,
cool, symbolic, etc.
f. Treatment of space and landscape, both real and illusionary (including use of
perspective), e.g., compact, deep, shallow, naturalistic, random
g. Portrayal of movement and how it is achieved
h. Effect of particular medium(s) used
i. Your perceptions of balance, proportion and scale (relationships of each part of
the composition to the whole and to each other part) and your emotional
j. Reaction to object or monument
3. Interpretation = establishing the broader context for this type of art.
· It answers the question, “Why did the artist create it and what does it mean
· The various elements that constitute interpretation include:
a. Main idea, overall meaning of the work.
b. Interpretive Statement: Can I express what I think the artwork is about in one
sentence?
c. Evidence: What evidence inside or outside the artwork supports my
interpretation?
4. Judgment = Judging a piece of work means giving it rank in relation to other works and of course
considering a very important aspect of the visual arts; its originality.
· Is it a good artwork?
· Criteria: What criteria do I think are most appropriate for judging the artwork?
· Evidence: What evidence inside or outside the artwork relates to each criterion?
· Judgment: Based on the criteria and evidence, what is my judgment about the quality of
the artwork?
Barrett’s Principles of Interpretation
1. Artworks have “aboutness” and demand interpretation.
2. Interpretations are persuasive arguments.
3. Some interpretations are better than others.
4. Good interpretations of art tell more about the artwork than they tell about the critic.
5. Feelings are guides to interpretations.
6. There can be different, competing, and contradictory interpretations of the same artwork.
7. Interpretations are often based on a worldview.
8. Interpretations are not so much absolutely right, but more or less reasonable, convincing, enlightening,
and informative.
9. Interpretations can be judged by coherence, correspondence, and inclusiveness.
10. An artwork is not necessarily about what the artist wanted it to be about.
11. A critic ought not to be the spokesperson for the artist.
12. Interpretations ought to present the work in its best rather than its weakest light.
13. The objects of interpretation are artworks, not artists.
14. All art is in part about the world in which it emerged.
15. All art is in part about other art.
16. No single interpretation is exhaustive of the meaning of an artwork.
17. The meanings of an artwork may be different from its significance to the viewer. Interpretation is
ultimately a communal endeavor, and the community is ultimately self- corrective.
18. Good interpretations invite us to see for ourselves and to continue on our own.
Barrett, Terry. (1994) Criticizing Art: Understanding the Contemporary. Mountain View, California:
Mayfield Publishing Company.
Sample Solution
Recidivism among the youthful male populace keeps on being a worry for society in the course of the most recent decade. In light of the National Institute of Justice, “Recidivism is estimated by criminal acts that brought about re-capture, reconviction or come back to jail with or without another sentence during a three-year time frame following the detainee’s discharge” (“NRRC Facts and Trends”). In spite of the fact that wrongdoing rates have kept on diminishing, recidivism still represents an issue in the public eye today. The sociological point of view endeavors to comprehend human conduct by putting it inside its more extensive social setting (Henslin 2). The reason for this paper is to talk about the cultural issue of recidivism among the youthful male populace while concentrating on the sociological point of view of why people are powerless to re-irritating.
While examining degenerate conduct it might be simple for one to just say recidivism is an issue in light of the fact that once individuals start carrying out violations it is too hard to even think about stopping. In any case, taking recidivism with regards to person’s condition one can comprehend on a real level that we become familiar with our essential perspectives on the world from the gathering in which we grow up (Henslin 4). These perspectives direct our ideological standards, and in that regard it gets more earnestly to break burns of wrongdoing through ages. As a criminal equity major, it is imperative to comprehend the social ramifications that obstruct people to be effective upon reemergence. At exactly that point is it conceivable to improve strategies with respect to the jail framework and social administrations for incorporating guilty parties again into the network. As a general public, it is basic that one comprehends the recidivism rate regarding social structures rather that exclusively on moral duty. In doing as such, society can decide on approaches and bolster networks that see dull examples in the recidivism rate.
Right now, the recidivism rate keeps on being the most noteworthy among detainees who are more youthful that 21. In view of an investigation directed by the U.S. Condemning Commission, it was discovered that 67.6% of detainees who were discharged while more youthful than 21 were re-captured (“NRRC Facts and Trends”). In correlation, 49.3% of every government detainee discharged were re-captured (“NRRC Facts and Trends”). The U.S. Registration Bureau reports that starting at 2010, the complete number of youthful grown-ups ages 18-29 in detainment facilities or prisons has started to decay (“NRRC Facts and Trends”). Furthermore, male youth in jail are multiple times almost certain than ladies to be in prison or jail (“NRRC Facts and Trends”). Despite the fact that the pace of imprisonment is diminishing for youthful grown-up guys, the recidivism rate remains generally the equivalent; recidivism is accounted for as low as 50 percent to as high as 70 percent relying upon the state. Henslin talks about that recidivism rates demonstrate the incapable procedure of our jail frameworks and thusly infers that penitentiaries neglect to instruct individuals that wrongdoing doesn’t pay (219). The value that is paid because of youthful grown-up misconduct is impressive; seemingly, the most significant is the threat of raising another age with uplifting frames of mind towards wrongdoing and social deviation (Esmaili et al. 165).
Among the prisoner populace, note that adolescent guilty parties have a novel arrangement of qualities, which make them bound to end up in the criminal equity framework. To start with, look into proposes that adolescent engaged with the adolescent equity framework have injury accounts that are multiple times higher than the general youth populace (Yoder et al. 251). Also, Yoder et al. demonstrates that adolescents likewise have higher paces of emotional well-being indications (259). It is sensible to reason that adolescent presented to early injury have an expanded hazard for misconduct and association with the criminal equity framework. As indicated by ongoing examination, African American, Hispanic, and teenagers with an open welfare case are at an expanded hazard for recidivism (Ryan et al. 7). It is anything but difficult to infer that minority young people who have encountered youth injury are at the most serious hazard for recidivism.
So as to genuinely comprehend why the recidivism rate keeps on staying unfaltering in the United States, one must see how individuals fall into cycles of wrongdoing. Contingent upon sexual orientation, geographic area, and youth injury an individual might be bound to show freak conduct. Henslin utilizes the term abnormality to allude to any infringement of standards, however with the end goal of this paper the term will be utilized with regards to perpetrating a wrongdoing (198). One approach to take a gander at recidivism among the youthful male populace is to receive the mental point of view of seeing character issue. As expressed above, psychological wellness side effects are substantially more likely in this populace and the degenerate conduct may originate from freak characters (Henslin 201). In view of the sociological viewpoint, one would take a gander at the social impacts that reason youthful male wrongdoers to carry out wrongdoings. Among these variables incorporate socialization, social class, and participation in subcultures (Henslin 201). Another characteristic factor of recidivism rates is level of training, the lower the instruction level the more prominent the danger of freak conduct. As a methods for social control to implement social characterized significant standards, we rebuff detainees by imprisonment in jail (Behravan 286).
Also, socialization is another factor that impacts recidivism. Socialization is expected to transform individual into acclimating individuals from society (Henslin 69). This idea is fundamental for our advancement as individuals, it shows us how to communicate with others, think, reason, and feel. Cuervo et al. examines in an investigation that there are qualities related with wrongdoing among youthful grown-ups, including impulsivity and absence of compassion (9). The examination reasoned that adolescent guilty parties with absence of compassion neglected to perceive the requirements and sentiments of others and at last thought that it was hard to build up relational connections (Cuervo et al. 12). Socialization is straightforwardly identified with one’s encounters inside their general public, making it quite hard for people to break rehashed cycles of wrongdoing. Differential affiliation enables us to comprehend recurrent wrongdoers through the sociological viewpoint that from the various gatherings we partner with, we figure out how to stray from or acclimate with society’s standards (Henslin 202).
Besides, marks can be an amazing message to send adolescents and youthful guilty parties in the public eye. As indicated by Henslin, “to name an adolescent as reprobate can trigger a procedure that prompts more prominent inclusion in abnormality” (207). To put the term freak on a youthful male guilty party enables society to pass a negative social judgment and eventually closes entryways of chance. Besemer et al. deduced in an ongoing report that naming expands a person’s relationship with reprobate people with people indicted for a wrongdoing between ages 19-26 (2). Also, marking impacts the person’s self-recognitions, frames of mind, and convictions (Besemer et al. 2). The examination established that marking hypothesis was progressively common among youthful guilty parties who had a past or at present imprisoned parent (Besemer et al. 11). This discovering bolsters the idea that youthful male guilty parties are bound to fall into a real existence or wrongdoing on the off chance that they are associated to accept that degenerate conduct is the standard. Also, being a previous detainee holds a shame that is applied by official and social position holders, for example, cops, judged, and businesses (Behravan 287). Being marked as a freak through conviction may fill in as an unavoidable outcome to urge youthful wrongdoers to connect themselves in the public arena with individuals who have been correspondingly named.
At last, sex assumes a significant job in the recidivism rate among youthful male guilty parties. As supported by Henslin, sex is an element that encompasses us in the public arena from birth and pushes us into various corners of life while sustaining a few practices and demoralizing others (77). One showing factor that fortifies sex messages is one’s companion gathering. The impact of companion bunches is generally incredible and comprises of a gathering of people, generally a similar age, which are connected by basic interests and directions (Henslin 80). Probably the most outstanding contrast among male and female wrongdoers is the sorts of violations perpetrated and the rate at which wrongdoings are submitted. Asscher et al. directed an investigation that discovered male adolescent guilty parties submit increasingly sexual and crime offenses in contrast with female wrongdoers (222). This might be added to the male strength depicted in broad communications and computer games inside society; an expanded help that men adjust to savagery and sexual conduct.
Thus, numerous means have been taken to address the concerning recidivism rate among the detainee populace. Quite one of the most persuasive advances is the ongoing government activity that plans to lessen recidivism rates. Wells and Hernon talk about the contribution of the National Institute of Justice and their progressing assessment of two government activities (72). The principal activity intended to lessen recidivism is the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative and the subsequent activity is the Second Chance Act. The Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative was contemplated among high-chance adolescent young men and found through the activity there were longer occasions before rearrests and less captures after discharge (Wells and Hernon 72). Also, the National Institute of Justice has granted different awards to ponder the viability of different projects with respect to diminishing the pace of recidivism (Wells and Hernon 73). These investigations are basic in creating the information expected to help forming reemergence approaches for remedial establishments. A definitive objective is to give programs that produce cost-sparing and powerful allots in keeping guilty parties of jail.
Also, the North Carolina Department of Pu