Dan S. Reading response

Critique Handbook Chapter 1

This chapter of the book discusses the many potential elements of a work of art. Each characteristic is broken down and an example of how it might apply to a piece of art is given. There are also sections that discuss the relationship between certain elements and how these characteristics can help a piece of art convey its meaning to the viewer. The main focus is how to critique these attributes and is discussed along with possible questions that the viewers can ask themselves when examining art. Both spatial and pictorial works are discussed and some famous critics opinions are also included throughout the chapter. The main point this article brought to mind is the critique of an artwork as a whole. There can be many layers and meanings to a work and reading the chapter reminded me of the many distinctive components that a work can contain. This chapter covers quite a bit and all of it can be useful when examining a work of art.

While reading this chapter I started to think of how the application of form could be used with the material I am working with and how to manipulate the material in two ways: how to convey form without the material impacting that image and how to effectively use the material without changing its appearance. If I don’t come up with something satisfactory for either of these goals then I will probably focus on how to change the appearance of the materials.

The overall focus of this chapter to me was the relationship between the characteristics covered and how to go about discussing each part of a work in relation to the other parts. The sections that compared the potentially opposing traits in a work were interesting as they pointed out these may not be so different. There are other points that the article brought up in my mind. Abstraction and shape versus reality and how these two traits are influence on the final product. How to effectively convey meaning without sacrificing the intent or the goals behind the creation of a work. When creating a work that is not site-specific how often does the artist take into account the potential spaces that work might be placed in or displayed? How to effectively use a space to increase the understanding or meaning of work? How to make a spatial work that is strong enough to convey it’s meaning regardless of the space it is placed in? I don’t see this problem with pictorial works as they can be perceived as separate from the area they are placed in and can be placed in a frame that may or may not be used to enhance the message of the work.