Ms. Tanguay

Visual Art I

FCHS

Unit #2: How should we look at art?

Involves asking and answering all kinds of questions about art.How did it come to be?How do people respond to it?How does it relate to our lives and society?

Philosophy of Art

Marilyn Levine, H. R. H. Briefcase, 1985

It used to be said that good design was what good art had in common.The Principles of Design

It is now believed that there are probably no special traits that ALL artworks have in common.You could not decide if an object was an

artwork on the basis of its materials, form, or design.

What Do Artworks Have in Common?

The theory of perceiving and enjoying something for its beauty and pleasurable qualities.Tries to explain and categorize our responses

to art forms.Many things besides looking at art can

provide aesthetic experiences, therefore, you will not be able to tell if something is an artwork just because it give you an aesthetic experience.You cannot rely on your personal likes and

dislikes on any given day to judge whether something is a work of art.

The Aesthetic Experience

Is believed by many philosophers of art to be a necessary factor in determining whether or not something is art. People who make art intend it to be art

Intentions and Art

Joseph Albers, Homage to the Square: Glow, 1966

There is no perfect method for determining when something is art.Human intention is necessary.Good design and aesthetic experience are

important.Ultimately it is a matter of judgement.

Who makes the judgements? Artists, dealers, collectors, art critics, museum directors, and art teachers make them. Their training, experience, and commitment give them the authority to make judgements.

The Art World

Art criticism is a systematic discussion of an artwork involving, usually, four stages:DescriptionAnalysisInterpretationEvaluation

Criticism and Critics

Roger Ebert, film critic

Can be found in newspapers, magazines, on radio, television, and the Internet.Gives you information to help you avoid

wasting time and moneyGood criticism educates, pointing out things

that might otherwise be overlooked, encourages us to break out of our comfort zone, and challenges our taste.

Professional Criticism

Can help us learn about the field of art.Engages you in making selections,

discovering new things, and developing your taste.

Helps you organize new knowledge in a way that you can share it with others.

Helps you deal with attitudes and ideas about life.

Nonprofessional Criticism

Step One: DescriptionYou MUST stick to the facts.Objects, people, subject matter, elements of art, etc.

Step Two: AnalysisThe examination of the relationships among the facts in

the artwork.The principles of design, composition

Step Three: InterpretationTo explain the meaning of an artwork

Step Four: EvaluationDetermining the quality or lasting importance of a

work.Design quality, originality, expressiveness

Critical Method

Pierre Auguste Renoir included his friends and fellow Impressionists in Luncheon of the Boating Party. They would often gather in the village of Chatou on the Seine River to rent rowboats and dine at Maison Fournaise. Occasionally Renoir traded his paintings for food and lodging at this restaurant and small hotel. He probably painted part of this scene on the balcony of the hotel, but he later revisited it in his studio. X-rays reveal he rearranged the figures as he struggled with the composition.

Art History

Pierre Auguste- Renoir, Luncheon of the Boating Party, 1880-1881

Supper at Emmaus illustrates the biblical story in which the recently crucified but risen from the dead Christ blesses the bread, thus revealing his identity to two men whom he had joined as they walked to Emmaus.

Italian Baroque artist Caravaggio was criticized during his lifetime for using common people as models and making his paintings too realistic. Caravaggio led a violent life. He went from one scrape with the law to the next and finally fled Rome when he killed a man.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Supper at Emmaus, 1601

Hobbs, Jack, Richard Salome, and Ken Vieth. The Visual Experience. 3. Worcester: Davis Publications, Inc, 2005. Print.

References