Art Criticism and Aesthetics Lesson Plans

Erin SeickelARE 6195 Teaching Art Appreciation and Criticism

December 2, 2008

- Lesson One - An Introduction to Feldman

Blood Connection, Mixed Media, Aviva Beigel

- Lesson One -

An Introduction to Feldman1. Describe and Name the VISUAL FACTS.2. Analyze the VISUAL FACTS:

– Using Form Descriptors: Line, Light, Shape, Color and Temperature, Size and Quantity, Space and Location, Surface and Texture.

– Further Observations: Similarity, Closeness, Contrast, Sequence, Direction, Rhythm, Symmetry, Balance, Completeness, and Closure.

– The Technical Process: based on the visual facts.

3. Interpret the Evidence:– Create a critical hypothesis:

• Where is this happening?• Who lives here? What did they do? Why did they do it?• Are the represented events real or potentially real?• Was this place seen remembered or invented?• Where are we in relation to what we see?• What happened before we arrived? What will happen afterward?• If this was real how would our world be different?

4. Judge the Work:– Use your interpretation to ground your judgment.

Scared Dead, Mixed Media, Aviva Beigel

Using Feldman on Your Own

• DESCRIBE

• ANALYZE

• INTERPRET

• JUDGE

- Lesson One - An Introduction to Feldman

- Lesson Two -

Finding a Message• Looking at art that

conveys opinion or political message.– What does the artist

want to say?– What techniques and

strategies does the artist use to communicate that message?

– How effective is it?

Capital Dunking, Paul Marcus

Gun Karma, Copper Plate Photogravure, Pieter Myers

- Lesson Two -

Finding a Message

And Every Time He Told a Lie…, Copper Plate Photogravure, Pieter Myers

- Lesson Two -

Finding a Message

- Lesson Three -

Initial Reactions• Describe and Analyze• Take five minutes and

write down some of your initial reactions to one of these two pieces.

• Trade papers so that you have the reaction of one of your peers.

Chara Rose, Mixed Media, Anne Ggrich

- Lesson Three -

Initial Reactions• Compare and

contrast your

reaction with that

of your peer.– If it is different why do

you think that is?

– What do you think

they were responding

to?

– If it is the same what

elements lead to that

reaction?Hysophia, Mixed Media, Anne Ggrich

Toast Served with a Smile, Acrylic on canvas, Heather Merckle

Lesson Four -

Using Narrative as Art Criticism

Remember when we used to make a fort, Acrylic on canvas, Heather Merckle

Lesson Four -

Using Narrative as Art Criticism

- Lesson Four -

Using Narrative as Art Criticism

• Describe and Analyze• Write a story as if you were the artist telling

what happened to make you create this painting.

• Include the following:– Some background on yourself as the artist.– What events lead up to the creation of this

painting?– How are both of these elements reflected in the

work?

- Lesson Five -

Decoding Messages in Media

• How can you use

the Feldman

method to better

understand

messages in the

media?

Lesson Five -

Decoding Messages in Media

- Lesson Five -

Decoding Messages in Media• Who does this work think I am?

• What is this work trying to sell me?

• What does is want me to admire?

• Whom does it want me to be?

• What does it ask me to do?

• What does it want me to think?

• How does it want me to feel?

- Lesson Five -

Decoding Messages in Media• Studio Component:

– Create a self-portrait collage that answers some of Feldman’s questions.

– Apply the Feldman method to your own work and describe how you used elements of art and principles of design to answer Feldman’s questions.

- Lesson Six -

Considering Aesthetic Distance

Serenity, Film, Joss Whedon

What did you see?

http://www.hulu.com/watch/26021/serenity-straight-ahead

- Lesson Six -

Considering Aesthetic Distance

Stellar, Film, Stan Brakhage

What did you see?

- Lesson Six -

Considering Aesthetic DistanceLOOKING AT LOOKING INTO

Finding meaning in visual expression.

Perfunctory aesthetic judgment.

Looking beyond narrative to the same language used in describing, analyzing, interpreting, and judging other art pieces.

Looking only at narrative limits your ability to describe, analyze, interpret, and judge.

References

• Anderson, T. (1993).Defining and structuring art criticism for education. Studies in Art Education. 34(4), 199-208.• Beigel, Aviva (2005) Blood Connection Mixed Media. Retrieved 1 Nov. 2008 http://www.avivabeigel.com/ • Beigel, Aviva (2005) Scared Dead Mixed Media. Retrieved 1 Nov. 2008. http://www.avivabeigel.com/• Brakhage, Stan (1993) Stellar Film. Retrieved 16 Nov. 2008.

http://www.filmlogging.com/log/2008/08/stellar-stan-brakhage-1993/• Braudy, L., & Cohen, M. (Eds.). (2004). Film theory and criticism. New York City, NY: Oxford University Press.• Duncum, P. (2008). Holding aesthetics and ideology in tension. Studies in Art Education. 49(2), p. 122-135• Feldman, E.B. (1994). Practical art criticism. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.• Ggrich, Anne (2005) Chara Rose Mixed Media. Retrieved 16 Nov. 2008.

http://www.marciaweberartobjects.com/grgich.html• Ggrich, Anne (2005) Hysophia Mixed Media. Retrieved 16 Nov. 2008. http://www.annegrgich.com/art-02.html • Greenburg, C. (1987). The critic as educator. Achieving Cultural Literacy in Visual Art. April, 25-27.• House, N. (2008). Using critique in the K-12 classroom. Art Education. 61(3) 48-51.• Journey’s Advertisment (November 2008) Seventeen Magazine• Lacoste Advertisment (November 2008) Men’s Health Magazine• Lee, S. (1993). Professional criticism in the secondary classroom: Opposing judgments of contemporary art enhance

the teaching of art criticism. Art Education. May 42-51.• Marcus, Paul(2003) Capital Dunking Etching. Retrieved Nov 16 2008

http://www.washprintfair.com/imagegallerycontemporary.htm• Merckle, Heather (2007) Toast Served with a Smile Painting. Retrieved 12 Oct. 2008

http://gallery.mac.com/hmerckle#100047/DSCF0699&bgcolor=black• Merckle, Heather (2006) Remember When We Used to Make a Fort Painting. Retrieved 12 Oct. 2008

http://gallery.mac.com/hmerckle#100047/DSCF0590&bgcolor=black• Myers, Pieter S (2006) And Every Time He Told A Lie… Copper Plate Photogravure. Retrieved 1 Nov. 2008.

http://www.psmyers.com• Myers, Pieter S (2007) Gun Karma Photogravure. Retrieved 1 Nov. 2008. http://www.psmyers.com• Teen Vogue Fashion Spread (November 2008) Teen Vogue Magazine • Whedon, Joss (2005) Serenity Film. Retrieved 16 Nov. 2008. http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/serenity2.htm