Entry 1

What is Art Criticism and how complex is it?

Initially I thought criticising and artwork had to be very and could not include too much humour however if art lacks the need for seriousness then why should criticising it be so stern? Art criticism and theory go hand in hand – there are contextual elements that one needs to pay attention to and with that, one can properly criticise an artwork and better understand it as critics and as viewers. Criticism is a discussion that creates discussion and what is written can even change the way others perceive the artwork as well as serve as a constructive point or destructive point for the artist themselves.

We all hear the phrase ‘art is subjective’ but what does that truly mean?

By dictionary definition it is something that is “based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions.” When we look at all sorts of things, we are objects looking at a subject through a different point of view and this is called a subjective experience.I found this to be quite an interesting explanation as I didn’t grasp the way an artist should look at an artwork or a critic should look at an artwork.

The formula to art criticism, based on what Weitz identified, are to describe, interpret, judge and then theorise. Initially there would either be a detailed or brief description of the artist, the work and perhaps some context into the theme, later posing the question of what the artist is trying to do and talking about the aims, objectives and the success of that, moving to judgement which, I would say is based on personal taste however a vast array of knowledge of the arts could lead to the appreciation of the artwork despite it not meeting the personal criteria of what the critic enjoys and theory being the critics conclusion based on the information they have gathered on the work of art.