READING VISUAL ART

Lesson: ART CRITICISM

Objective: To create a criteria for judging an artwork; and to make an art criticism based on
Feldman’s method.

What is Art Criticism and How to Critique Artwork Constructively

The term art criticism refers to the analysis, evaluation and discussion of an artwork. It
requires the participant to reflect about a particular work of art and make a personal,
substantiated interpretation of the piece.

The term art criticism was first used in 1719 by English painter Jonathan Richardson in his
book - An Essay on the Whole Art of Criticism. Richardson created a system to rank works of
art based on drawing and its elements, composition, invention and use of color.

Aside from analyzing the artwork itself, professional art critics also question whether an
artwork has importance within its historical context and how it relates to works before it.

Philip Weissman in his essay, The Psychology of the Critic and Psychological Criticism (1962),
argues that an art critic needs to have knowledge in the field in order to make a judgement.

Constructive criticism is based on facts, and only after proper analysis can judgement be
made. Negative opinions void of any objective reasoning should be ignored. By receiving
both positive and negative criticism, it is vital for you to start training yourself to respond in
a professional manner and, more importantly, to not let it stop you from moving forward
in your artistic journey.

It's extremely unfortunate when artists never show their work out of fear of failure or criticism.
Please remember that being brave enough to share work you have worked hard on is an
accomplishment in and of itself.
THE FELDMAN METHOD

Edmund Feldman (1929-2020) an American educator and art critic, created a method of
critiquing art. His method of criticism has served as a model in four stages for making
statements about a work of art. The Feldman method involves four steps: description, analysis,
interpretation and judgement.
SAMPLE ART CRITIQUE USING FELDMAN METHOD
https://www.erikalancaster.com/
Artwork: “Nighthawks” by Edward Hopper 1942. Oil on canvas.

I. Description

This piece is titled Nighthawks and it was created by American painter Edward Hopper
in 1942, amidst the socio-political turmoil caused by the ongoing World War 2. It is
also important to note that Hopper lived through the Great Depression, which was an
extremely hard economic time for many countries.

The scene is very American and set within Hopper's time judging by architectural
design and the dressing style of the subjects. It portrays a sense of everyday life in an
American city. Hopper has mentioned that he was inspired by a particular diner in Greenwich
Village, where he lived and worked from the time he was 31 until his death. However,
it is not meant to be a direct representation and, by the lack of detail, one gets the sense that it
could be any diner in any city.

The medium used was oil paint and the style is quite realistic but not heavily detailed. In
terms of Elements of Art, what strike out most are use of color, shape, space, form and
line. One could say that the subject of the piece is the diner itself. However, inside it we can see
four different characters. Our eyes gravitate towards the only woman included in the piece,
due to the bright color of her clothes and hair. Hers is the only face we can see almost
completely. The composition in itself is quite simple but is visually very engaging
II. Analysis

The composition is divided into thirds and the diner takes up approximately two thirds of the
entire area. The use of color in this piece is quite striking. The bright yellow hue used inside
the diner, which creates the effect of fluorescent lighting, contrasts with the colors outside of it
and provides emphasis on this area of the painting, where the subjects are located.

There is a sense of illumination created by the diner's unnatural light. It spills onto the
concrete outside and creates a few stark shadows. We can easily tell that it is nighttime, but we
understand this from the moment we read the title of the piece. Muted, dark colors are used
on the facades of the buildings and street elements outside of the diner.

Very few details are included in this area, which further draws the viewer's focus to the inside
of the diner. There is almost no sense of movement perceived, even within the diner.

There is an asymmetrical balance achieved in the arrangement of forms within the

composition. There is just the right amount of form and detail within the small area outside
the diner to balance it with the enclosed area of interest.

There are various lines included within the composition. The vertical lines used to create
the windows of the diner and the buildings behind it ground the piece. At the same time,
strong diagonals create the form of the diner and lead to a vanishing point somewhere
outside the piece, to the left (linear perspective). These lines also create a triangular
shape containing the subjects, making it look like the front part of a ship.

Windows, architectural elements, and bar stools, create patterns and repetition in
certain areas of the piece, transmitting a certain sense of order. Hopper creates very
smooth paintings, leaving out texture (probably deliberately). We are only able to tell that
there is glass separating us from the people inside the diner because of the edge painted at the
end of the building. There is no door to be seen.
III. Interpretation

Even though a lot of people consider Nighthawks an expression of Americans' feelings during
the WW2 period, Hopper's wife once said that he deliberately chose to ignore the chaos
going on around him, immersing himself in his work.

The Pearl Harbor bombing occurred only a few days after this painting was completed. It is
important to note that Hopper also lived through the Great Depression and did struggle
economically for quite some time.

Isolation and disconnect are present in many of Hopper's paintings even before WW2 started.
This great artist was once quoted saying: "I don't think I ever tried to paint the American
scene. I'm trying to paint myself." This tells us that Hopper used his work as a means ofself-
discovery and personal reflection.

The emptiness in the piece, combined with lack of movement/expression, as well as the fact that
these people seem close and yet apart (both amongst themselves and from the viewer),
transmits feelings of loneliness and isolation. Even the couple sitting together seems detached.
They could be married or they could be total strangers that just met. The stillness and silence
make me feel like something is about to happen.
IV. Judgement

I believe this piece is extremely effective in both technique and narrative. For me, both are
essential in an artwork and Hopper's painting definitely shows both. I really admire Hopper's
painting style as he creates a specific level of realism but retains visible brushstrokes, leaving
out high amounts of detail.

He was also immensely talented in terms of being able to transmit specific feelings and ideas
to the viewer. His work is simple, displays common scenes, and yet is extremely psychological,
making the viewer think whether there is another layer to everyday life. With every piece, the
artist incites us to connect the dots and come up with stories.

His work is compelling, even today. Hopper is known for taking a long time to complete his
works, and the effectiveness of his paintings really show a deliberate study and planning on
his part. Personally, I feel like a lot of Hopper's work (Nighthawks included) is able to resonate
with people even today.

I think the modern world is so fast-paced and immersed in technology (especially larger cities),
that we lack deep communication with one another. We can be surrounded by large amounts
of people and yet feel incredibly alone. Also, the lack of expression in Hopper's subjects reminds
me of how we are becoming more and more desensitized by violence and, at times, lack the
humanity to connect with others.

We are together in this world and yet, almost every day, we ignore there are others beside us
that may need help. Everyone is their own island!
FINAL EXAM – TERM PAPER

1. Create a Criteria for Judging an Artwork.

2. Choose a visual art created by a Filipino National Artist or a contemporary Filipino Visual Artist, and
write an ART CRITIQUE using Feldman Method.

SAMPLES
Contemporary Filipino visual artist
Human Hair Painting by Adelaida Paterno
Butterfly Wings by Julian Jumalon
Invisible Paint Art by Edd Aragon
Human Blood Painting by Elito Circa Villaflor
Pasta Ketchup Art by Andre Mangubat
Human Body Art by Jay Dalupang

FILIPINO NATIONAL ARTIST ON VISUAL ART

Fernando Amorsolo
Carlos Francisco
Vicente Manansala
Benedicto Cabrera
and all others
RUBRIC FOR ART CRITIQUE