Art Criticism

            .  I think it is really important, when viewing art either for pleasure or purchase, to recognize why one appreciates a work and whether or not something has artistic value or simply appeal for another reason.  Visual appeal for the sake of beauty or personal joy is perfectly acceptable but it can be argued that not all objects that are appealing to the masses have artistic merit.  Herein lies the crux of the problem.  What elements denote artistic merit?  As an artist, teacher, and long time viewer of work both professional and amateur, I work at keeping my personal opinion out of the mix.  If I do indicate that I like something then I insist on backing up my statement with sensible reasons based on elements of art and design that I have learned and experienced through the years.  As a learning experience and for the benefit of my students, I thought it would be helpful to list the ideas behind the words that create a beneficial critique for the sake of learning and improving future creative expression.  Note that some of these ideas relate to an emotional response that has nothing to do with artistic merit.  This does not make it wrong to have these feelings; it just takes the judgment out of the realm of thoughtful artistic criticism.

Selected Elements of Art and Design (along with a few emotional reactions that may influence personal responses to art work)

The color matches my room décor.

The monochromatic colors unify the piece.

The balance is symmetrical, comforting, secure, and predictable.

The Asymmetrical balance is unpredictable, surprising, insecure, discomforting and interesting.

The varied tonal range creates interesting space and heightens the realism and illusion of 3-dimension.

The style is impressionistic.

The polychromatic color creates excitement.

The high contrast is startling and interesting.

The low contrast is soothing and calm.

Repetition of line and shape unifies the piece.

Repetition of color creates unity.

Textural passages create interesting contrasts with smooth areas.

Realism and the use of recognizable objects are comforting and secure.

Perspective creates deep space.

Opposite colors on the color wheel create tension.

Related colors create harmony.

Cool colors are relaxing, soothing, sad or depressing.

Warm colors are exciting, cheerful, uplifting, or jarring.

Detail creates interest and increased realism.

Repeated shapes or lines create texture.

Pattern leads the eye around a picture.

Diagonal lines lead the eye into the picture.

Some areas are composed of simple light and dark areas to create form, are fresh and appear to have been painted with ease.

Line carries the eye around the picture.

The picture plane is flat so interest is created by color, contrast, line, shape and texture.

Overlapping, perspective and color create deep space, which heightens the realism of the painting.

The relationship of the proportions of one object to another in the painting is correct and fulfills expectations.

The relationship of the proportions of one object to another is incorrect in reality and either detracts from the overall satisfaction of the piece or was intentionally done for effect, fits the context, and adds to the excitement of the piece.