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Evaluation: What makes a work of art worthwhile? Is it vi-sually interesting? Is it moving? Is it skillfully done? Which criteria are relevant to judging art, and who is qualified to make such judgments?

How do artists and viewers evaluate art to determine whether it has quality? • Quality is relative • Evaluation varies from person to person, • Culture to culture and • Time period to Time period

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Choosing one thing over another is the process of evalua-tion. As individuals, we are constantly making choices with on a daily basis. What type of clothing to wear, what type of car to drive, and

An artist’s creative experience is also a process of select-ing and evaluating.

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As consumers, our day to day experiences are also a pro-cess of selecting and evaluating. As technology advances our sense of quality and aesthetics change as well. These images provide interesting examples of how our culture’s sensibilities of beauty and function have changed since the 1970’s.

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It has been some time since a TV/clock radio in the shape of an astronaut helmet was popular and desired. Of course today, our televisions our thin, minimal, and large.

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We live in a culture with the desire to collect objects of desire. Collecting anything often times creates an artificial excite-ment. Certainly there are respected individuals in the field of collecting objects of our past and present. Like popular music, our desire can fade. This is also true in the visual arts, where celebrated artists of a specific time are sometimes forgotten.

The art market is far more established than collecting Beanie Babies and Beer Cans, but it to has a parallel difficulty. A monetary value placed on an object is not necessarily an equivalent to quality.

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Evaluating art involves subjectivity with a thoughtful un-derstanding of current and historical movements in rela-tionship to culture. Measuring artistic quality objectively is difficult and complex at best.

Comparing “Shy Glance” and “Self Portrait in a Straw Hat” may provide some insight. Jingagain’s painting lacks skill with color, value, and proportion. There are, however, some interesting decisions with composition.

Vigee-LeBrun’s painting exhibits a great deal of skill with the medium, color, light, and form. Her self portrait feels more refined although the composition is not all that dy-namic, it followed a conventional tradition at the time it was painted.

An artist’s skill may be relevant to judging quality, it is not always definitive.

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Although there are similarities with the creative processes, it is difficult to measure art in the same manner as math-ematics, engineering, or science. An artist’s own process of evaluation can cause a major shift in evolution of their work.

Prior to 19th and 20th century, cultural change occurred slowly in comparison to the 20th and 21st century where change has occurred very rapidly. Many artists have inten-tionally sought to go beyond or deny established traditions.

Visual artists tend to keep an open mind and learn from fresh insights. Our concept of what is “good art” often changes with maturity and experiences.

The ancient Greeks, often applied the follow utilized these terms to measure the quality of art: • Truth • Harmony • Beauty • Moral Goodness • Order

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Art critiques evaluate art exhibitions, art events, and pub-lish their views based on contemporary and historical movements. Their primary function is to help others have a better understanding and take closer look to make their own evaluations. Of course they are not always correct with their observation...

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Artist involved with the Impressionism movement were ridiculed by critics, collectors, curators, and the public. At the time, the style was too radical of a change from their predecessors.

Despite harsh criticism, they independently exhibited their painting and sculpture. The name of their group style derives from a critic’s observation that the brush-work was sketchy and only basic impressions of paint were used on the canvas. As a group, the common

characteristics of Impressionism include visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate de-pictions of light, and its changing qualities.

Today, Impressionism is regarded as one of the most important movements of the 19th century.

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Radicals in their time, early Impressionists violated the rules of academic painting. Their influences included painters such as Eugène Delacroix and J. M. W. Turner. With their subject matter focussed on the landscape and middle class, the public gradually came to believe that their work captured a fresh and original vision, even if the art critics and art establishment disapproved of the new style.

The figurative work by Edward Degas, “Little Dancer of Fourteen Years”, is cast in bronze, certainly a traditional material for sculpture. A great deal of criticism focused on the untraditional approach of ‘dressing’ the dancer with a hair ribbon and tutu...

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The text from the previous image is referring to the Eiffel Tower, named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel. Erected in 1889 as the entrance arch to the 1889 World’s Fair, it was initially criticized by some of France’s leading artists and intellectuals for its design. Today of course, the Eiffel Tower has become cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. When it was constructed, tit wasis the tallest man-made structure in the world at 1,063 feet, equivalent to a 81 story building.

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In the late 1950’s, Robert Rauschenberg’s “Monogram” outraged the critics with his unconventional approach to painting. Rauschenberg pushed the thought process of painting, borrowing ideas from the Dada Movement and Marcel Duchamp with collage and found objects.

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When Donald Judd moved his studio from New York to Marfa, Texas, the community was suspect and often mocked his creative investigation in art. Within a few years, after gaining a better understating with his perspec-tive, most of the community rejoiced his presence and ideas.

Judd’s forms challenge the tradition of craft and existing ideas of sculpture. He wanted his work to have autonomy and clarity for the constructed object and the space cre-

ated by it. Most of Judd’s work uses a simple geometric language, and a machined, industrial look, avoiding any direct associations with outside objects. Judd had the boxes fabricated to his specifications, and the work shows no evidence of the artist’s (or craftsman’s) hand.

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As we continue with our investigation and appreciation of art throughout this semester, keep these three theories in mind.

Formal Focused attention on the composition (elements of art and principles of design). Attention with how the artwork has been influenced by earlier works. The subject or theme is less important than how the artist has represented the formal qualities. A greater value is placed on the artist’s innovation.

Contextual Consideration on the artwork as a product of a culture and value system. Critics examine the environmental influences, economic system, cultural values, and political viewpoints. Expressive A greater attention to the artist’s expression of personality and world view. • Who made it? • What is artist’s history? • What are the artist’s aesthetic influences?

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From a formal perspective, Titian’s “Pieta” utilizes an in-novative sensibility with brushwork when compared to his predecessors Raphael, Michelangelo, Di Vinci. Titian’s brush work is more expressive and loose. This painting is bolder and more innovative with composition as well. The empty niche, symbolizing death, surrounded by diagonal row of heads balanced by two figures on right. “Pieta” was painted during in the last year of his life at when epidemic plagues were common and remembered.

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Writing about ArtStart with an open and receptive mind before judging the work and ideas. Writing about the work allows you to take the time to engage in seeing and responding the Formal, Contextual, and Expressive theories of art.

Describe the physical qualities as if you were speaking with a friend on the phone. Medium, Materials, Dimen-sions, and Date. Define the major elements of art. Define how these elements are organized.

Define the cultural background and context of the artist and artwork. What is the subject matter of the artwork? Is the artwork objective, nonobjective, or abstract? Can the artwork be categorized in a specific movement or style?

What is the intent of the artist? Is there a particular event that the artist is responding to? Are there certain artists or art movements that is influencing the artist?

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Throughout this course you will be viewing artwork that has been rejoiced, hated, loved, and censored. Most cul-tures have removed or even burned art and literature for religious, moral, or political reasons.

One of many examples of censorship include Michelange-lo’s “The Last Judgement”, commissioned by Pope Julius II for the Sistine Chapel. Future church officials objected to the figures being too revealing and ordered that loin cloths to be painted over their genitals.