Appraising

Using the Inquiry-Based Approach
Feldman’s Formula
Appraise the work using the following framework:
• describe what you see ie the subject matter
• analyse the use of elements and principles of art and design for definitions and examples of
the elements and principles see this site: http://www.educ.kent.edu/vlo/design/index.html
• interpret the meaning of the work
• judge whether you think the artist was successful in conveying meaning
The Art Critiquing Process is a method of organizing the facts and your thoughts about a particular work of art. In some ways it is similar to the Scientific Method – ie looking to raise awareness.

The Art Critiquing Process is broken down into FOUR areas

The FOUR steps are Description, Analysis, Interpretation and Judgment.

Each area specifically looks at a particular aspect of the work. ie description = subject matter, analysis = visual language, interpretation = meaning, judge = synthesis. Each section must be covered in order, beginning with Description but do not write under headings. This order helps you to organise your thoughts and to make intelligent and educated statements about a work of art.

It is very important that you are familiar with the Elements of Art http://www.brigantine.atlnet.org/GigapaletteGALLERY/websites/ARTiculationFinal/MainPages/ElementsMain.htm and the Principles of Design http://www.brigantine.atlnet.org/GigapaletteGALLERY/websites/ARTiculationFinal/MainPages/PrinciplesMain.htm as they will provide you with the vocabulary and knowledge necessary to critique art intelligently.
ESSENTIAL READING This information is from an outstanding site that explains the process beautifully and has interactive links: http://www.brigantine.atlnet.org/GigapaletteGALLERY/websites/ARTiculationFinal/MainPages/ArtCritiquingMain.htm
Making Notes in the Research Phase - use a simple three word formula as a starting point for understanding an artwork: media, image, ideas. Begin by considering the media (or materials) used to make the work: are they traditional or innovative? what associations do they bring to mind? have they been worked with traditional techniques? why did the artist choose these media or techniques? Then consider the imagery: is it representational or non-representational? where have you seen images like this before? how have they been presented? what parts of the form (e.g. colours, lines, shapes, etc.) predominate? Why were these particular images selected? Let the answers to these questions lead you to consider the work's ideas: What associations and ideas come to mind when looking at the work? Why did the artist use these media and images? What do they mean? Why was the work created?
In your responses to each section you are required to use art-relevant terms/vocabulary etc.
The orange words are hyperlinked to examples of each part of the process.

Describe Tell what you see. Talk about the subject, the medium and any information you have gotten from reading the Credit Line, if there is one. This is NOT the place to add your opinions. You must be objective, like a detective who is surveying the scene of a crime and writing down only what she sees

Analyse Here is the section where you will express your thoughts about what the message of the artwork is. What idea does this work represent? This section relies on your knowledge of the Elements Of Art and Principles of Design to articulate in an intelligent manner the information or clues you see in the work

Interpret Here you are invited to express your opinions about what you think the artist meant. Now you have the opportunity to discuss what this work means to you based on the EVIDENCE you have gathered from the first 2 steps.

Evaluate What do you think about this piece of work? Is it successful? Do you like it? You should be able to give some reasons as to why you like or do not like a work of art. Again, you must base this on the evidence as in the interpretation, giving reasons for your judgement.

FURTHER TO FELDMAN: Perceiving/Responding/Reflecting
• identify, describe, reflect, analyse, interpret, and make judgements about how ideas, thoughts, feelings, or messages are communicated in a variety of others' art works
• examine your emotions/feelings about the work
• what atmosphere is created by the work – does the work have a ‘personality’, how has the artist created this
• look for hints or clues about the meaning of the work – sometimes this is as simple as considering the title or looking at other works by the artist.
Suggested Strategies to help you gain confidence in Appraising ANYTHING …
• observe and respond to a number of artworks by well-known artists (examples from a variety of periods and styles might be used)
• discuss the messages and context for each artwork examined
• discuss the elements and principles of the disciplines and how they are used in each artwork to support the message or content
• relate the elements and principles of each discipline to the others
• select and research the background or context of artworks relating to a topic
• choose an artwork they feel exhibits excellence and then explain or defend their choice
• discuss artworks, relating the cultural context of the artists to the points of view they express in their works
• create an original work of art to address a chosen topic
• describe the importance of the safe and proper use of the media and tools needed to create their artwork
• practise the skills needed to produce an artwork
• refer to the work of historical or contemporary artists after making their own work, and have them analyse how and why they feel the chosen style is appropriate for their topic
• relate their own works to those of historical or contemporary artists and have them analyse those relationships
• record their personal ideas and reflections on the development process, their work in progress, and any works observed
• discuss the influence of their own culture, bias, and background on their own developing work

Resources
http://www.brigantine.atlnet.org/GigapaletteGALLERY/websites/ARTiculationFinal/MainPages/ArtCritiquingMain.htm
http://www.educ.kent.edu/vlo/design/index.html
http://www.sanalmuze.org/arastirarakogrenmekeng/okuma_projesi.htm