Evaluating Art

Encountering the object

What do you see? Does it matter who made it?

Encountering the object

Artist unknownThe Sleeping Lady, ca. 3600 - 2500 B.C.Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, Malta

Henry Moore (1898-1986)Reclining Woman, 1927Cast concreteBritish

Four theories of art

• RealismArt portrays reality as we see it

• ExpressionismArt shows feelings and communicates thoughts

• FormalismArt is significant form

• Post-modernismArt is critical of accepted power structures

Realism

Ron MueckBed, 2005

George SegalBlue Girl on Black Bed, 1976

Realism

• The goal of art is to accurately describe reality• Plato (428 – 348 BC) originated the theory• Art is an imitation of reality• Emphasis on craft and beauty

Realism

Which one of these is more like reality?

Expressionism

Alison SaarUntitled (from the Crossroads installation), 1989

Artist anonymousPower Figure (Nkisi N'Kondi: Mangaaka), mid to late 19th century

Expressionism

• Art communicates subjective, personal, and cultural ideas

• Fidelity to“reality” doesn’t reflect complexity of subjects

• Art is a special way of knowing the world• Emphasis on feelings and individual experience

Expressionism

What is being expressed? How does the object communicate?

Loretta PettwayLazy Gal – Bars, ca. 1965

Barnett NewmanConcord, 1949

Formalism

Formalism

• “Art for art’s sake”• Art is important because it can find essence of

form• Emphasis on abstraction, composition, and an

object’s internal relationships• Art about essences

Willie “Ma Willie” AbramsRoman Stripes variation, c. 1975

Sean ScullyRaphael, 2004

Are these objects communicating the same thing?

David HammonsAfrican-American Flag, 1990

Mickalene ThomasMama Bush: (Your love keeps lifting me) higher and higher, 2009

Post-modernism

Post-modernism

• Art meant to question, challenge and provoke• Emphasis on social experience and not

individual• Interest in creating new relationships in society• Art is pluralistic; it tells a truth, not the truth

David HammonsAfrican-American Flag, 1990

Mickalene ThomasMama Bush: (Your love keeps lifting me) higher and higher, 2009

What questions are being asked in these?

• What is your philosophy of art?• Is there a “best” way to approach artwork?• Do theories help to look at artwork?