A Guide to writing an Art Critique

Within your critique, you must identify the artist and work, describe the elements and materials, analyze
relationships between elements, consider composition and content and then interpret the work and its
purpose. Below is a guide intended to help, though you do not need to follow it precisely.
Writing an Art Critique - the Feldman Method
Adapted from Edmund Feldmans Aesthetic !riticism "as set out in #arieties of
#isual E$perience,%&'().
I. Give an introduction to the facts of the exhibitscreening. Who* What*
When* Where* +f a group e$hibition, choose one artwork to critique and identify
the artist"s), the title, the medium and year the work was created.
II. Critique the artwor! using a four-ste" "rocess.
A. #escri"tion
,ake ob-ecti.e/ or .alue0neutral/ statements about the work in question.
E$clude interpretations and e.aluations, and instead take an ob-ecti.e
in.entory of the work. 1oint out single features such as ob-ects, trees, and
people. 2hen point out abstract elements such as shapes and colors.
Finally point out materials or technologies used to compose this artwork.
/A test of ob-ecti.ity would be that most people would agree with your
statement.
$. Formal anal%sis
,ake statements about the relations among the things you named in the
descriptions "part A). 3ou should note similarities and dissimilarities in
formal elements4such things as color, shape, or direction. 2ake note of
continuities "such as the color red repeated throughout the work) and of
connections "for e$ample, the shape of a window repeated in the shape of
a table) between these formal elements and the sub-ect matter. What kind
of spatial de.ices are used to create dimensionality* 5o you see
e$amples of repetition or rhythm* Finally, note the o.erall qualities of the
work.
C. Inter"retation
,ake statements about the meaning"s) of the work. 2his is the most
creati.e part of your critique. 6sing a hypothesis, support it with
arguments, based on e.idence gi.en in the description and formal
analysis. "parts A and B)
#. &udgment
2his is the most comple$ part of the critique and requires an opinion
regarding the worth of an ob-ect, based on what was learned in the
pre.ious stages of the critique. E.aluate the craftsmanship and technique.
Are parts of the work successfully interrelated* 5oes the work illicit a
response or communicate an idea* Are you mo.ed by this work* What
do you think of it* What is your aesthetic -udgment* And on what is
based*
III. #raw conclusions