Art Criticism: From Classroom to Museum

Rachel, Ashley & Matti

Last night I had the strangest dream...

Criticism = Appreciation

“What a person is emotionally, intellectually and socially will determine the nature of his or her appreciation.” (example: dream activity)

“A goal of criticism is to be able to respond more fully to an artwork and to defend one’s opinion regarding it.”

Color

Texture

Shading

Lines

Structure

Contrast

Style

Landscape

Portrait

Still Life

Abstract

Sculpture

Pattern

Repetition

• We want children to see art not just as something pretty that exists, but something that was created by someone for a purpose.

• “When working with a medium, we become conscious of the problems, needs and goals that have influenced our own expressive acts.”

• “Critical skills can be developed in close relationship to art activities.”

• There are 4 stages of the “Critical Act”: description, formal analysis, interpretation, and judgment/informed preference

• “New critical language also provides the teacher with a way to evaluate learning.”• So, by discussing color and mood, you can check

understanding based on the students’ appropriate use of these elements in their artwork.

• Through art, teachers can teach literacy by defining new vocabulary terms that are represented in artwork. • Extension: Teachers can further this vocabulary by

posting famous paintings to a bulletin board and asking the students to put their vocabulary cards next to what symbolizes the word.

Draw or paint (using watercolor) a scene that conveys the word on your index card - Don’t peak at your friends’ cards!

Be creative and fill up as much of your page as possible!

“Happy” should not look like this:

1. Description (What do you see?)

2. Formal Analysis (How are things put together?)

3. Interpretation (What is the artist trying to say?)

4. Informed Preference (What do you think of the work? Why?)

Check out your classmates’ artwork!

Think about it as an art critic: color? style? shading?

Read the “plaques” next to the drawings and paintings

• Did anything in the reading surprise you?

• Were you particularly familiar with any of the topics? Can you remember critiquing art as an elementary student?

• How did this reading impact you as a future teacher? Can you see yourself using art criticism in an elementary classroom?

• Did you have any favorite quotes?