To
appreciate art, one needs to learn art critique; which is a sequential approach
for looking at and talking about art. Gaurav Goswami explains all the processes
that one needs to follow in order to understand art better.
It can
be a lot of fun
Art criticism is not difficult; in fact it
makes the study of art less mysterious and more logical. By art critique one
means, the process of exercising a serious and objective examination on a work
of art and making systematic judgement of it. This knowledge will give one
confidence and courage to speak their mind. And as one starts to get proficient
in the language of art, one will be able to delve deeper into the layers of
meaning of each art piece.
The
right words
Every profession has its set of specific
words that are exclusive to them; art also has its share of words. The line,
tone, texture, movement and shape are just a few words in which art can be
critiqued. However, the above mentioned words can be better described with the
help of other words. The words used to describe line are: flowing, delicate,
simple, bold, thick, and thin. When it comes to tone the words that better
describe it are: subtle, contrasting, muted and dramatic. Texture is better
described with words like: rough, fine, smooth, coarse, uneven. Words that
describe movement are: swirling, flowing and dramatic. Art comes in various
shapes, some words describing them are: organic, curvaceous, geometric, angular
and elongated.
Building
the ground work
When beginning a critique it is helpful to
spend the first few minutes in silence contemplation of the piece i.e. simply
absorb it visually. Look long enough to let the image sink into one’s
consciousness, allowing the mind to sense which qualities attract and which
distracts. A way to go about it is to purposely abstract the image in the mind.
This is done by reducing any recognizable subject matter in shapes, lines, and
filed of colour or tonal value; this is called the reduction process. After
this initial inspection and before any critical determinations are made, it is
often necessary to ask the artist some questions like, what they wanted the
image to communicate to the viewer? Is the piece concerned only with the
illusion it creates or it has a deeper meaning behind it? Was the final product arrived at randomly,
intuitively or through very deliberate choices? This question and answer
session helps the critics to compare their first impressions with that of the
artist. It is helpful to limit one’s thinking to the paradigm presented by the
concerned piece of art. One’s arbitrary, random or impulsive assumptions are
difficult to draw conclusions from; on the other hand, logical reasoning
provides a structure which one can use to determine specific mystery behind the
visual beauty.
Evaluation
criteria
Art critique starts by reviewing the colour.
The use of colour and the way how they are used, communicates messages and
feelings to the critic. Tonal range refers to the contrast of value or the
range from light to dark contained in the piece of art. For example, an artwork
containing dark purple and pale yellow colour has a wide tonal range, while one
containing only primary red or green colour has a narrow tonal range. The form
of the piece of art gives the subject matter of a 2 D artwork the appearance of
existing in 3 D space. Generally, the deeper an artist understands of the law
of optical reality the more convincing the illusion. Having said that, it is
helpful to know whether the artist intends these illusions to be accurate or
they defy the optical laws of reality. The contents of an art work are composed
in a certain arrangement, forming spatial relationships that lead the critic’s
eyes around the piece or to a particular space within it. And the artist
derives this effect by the composition of the piece of the art. Style in art
refers to the intended distortion of optical reality in order to convey a
particular meaning or express a particular feeling. When this is developed with
a theory and implemented with skill, then stylization happens. Stylization adds
layer of symbolism and also provide entertainment for the eyes. Cubism is a
classic example of stylization. A painting consists of not only visual
illusion, but a physical surface also. The characteristic of brush work and the
physical qualities of the medium used contribute to the final look of the art
work.
Final
thoughts
The best critiques are the result of an
unfolding dialogue between the artist and the art critic. Art criticism not
only has an important role in developing the work of artist, but also in
helping viewer/critic to perceive and interpret works of art better. Finally a
few pointers to remember while critiquing an art work: describe what one sees?
Analyze how the work is organized? Interpret
what message does the art work communicate? And judge what does one think of
the work?
No comments:
Post a Comment