Name: Joshua L.

Balopiños
Program/Year: BSE 2D Date Submitted: March 30,
2022 Activity No. 1.3.2a
Art Critique
Activity Details:
▪ Let us say we are in a gallery. There is a particular work that strikes you. The curator
comes to you and asks you how he may help you. You don’t know exactly where to start
with your queries. How do you actually read an artwork? You just know that you like it.
Some people have a background in psychology or art criticism that makes them familiar
with semiotics (study of signs). But what if you have none of those?

▪ Let’s say that this artwork below is what you saw.

Activity No. 1.3.2b
Art Critique (Analysis)(continued)
Activity Details:
▪ Now, critique the work based on the following. Write your answers on the spaces
provided.
1. Formal qualities: simply enumerate the elements that you see: the quality of lines,
shapes, colors, etc.

• Lines, shapes, colors, light, value, and form are all represented in this piece of art. It
demonstrates different strokes of lines, such as thin and thick lines, curved, straight,
direct, meandering, zigzag or serpentine, distinct and blurred, according to my
observations. The artist's lines will vary depending on the character he or she is
drawing.On the other hand, the artist's shape is called a biomorphic since it resembles or
suggests a type of living entity. Colors of various colors are also displayed by the artist.
Some portions have a dark color, while others have a light color. I also pay attention to the
artist's style.This painting's character is in two-dimensional shape, or 2-D. The value was the
last art aspect I noticed in this piece. Similar to what I said about color, it comes in a
variety of shades depending on the image that the artist wants to send to his or her
audience.

2. Subject matter: What is the artist tackling about? Can you see any representational
forms? If none, what do you think is the main subject matter?

• The artist discusses the typical ethnic wedding ceremony. A young couple kneels atop a
bamboo platform to collect blessings from a priest or imam; they are the representative
shape that I have identified in this artwork. I can definitely recognize the subject matter
that the artist wishes to express with this photograph. The way this tribe does their
engagement ceremony is quite pleasant and unusual.

3. Composition: Consider the arrangement of objects, people, or elements. What is

most prominent? Who or what is on the foreground, middle ground, and background?

• The young couple and the priest/imam were, as far as I could tell, the most significant
images on this artwork. Aside from the fact that they are at the front of the paintings, their
movement or action is also noteworthy.The jar and the vase-like shape were in the
foreground of this artwork, while the young couple, the priest/imam, several visitors, and
the naked dancers were in the middle area. Finally, the mountain ranges in the
background of the people gathered for that event formed the backdrop.
4. Technique: Looking at the technique and manner of painting and composition,
how is it related to the artist’s objective?

• The artist's goal was to demonstrate how beautiful an ethnic tribe's traditional
engagement ritual is. The artist's composition, painting style, and technique were all highly
effective in communicating this goal. It was plainly painted with the image of a young
couple gaining approval from the pries/imam. The artist's use of color and shapes was
perfectly suited to the scenes he/she painted.

Activity No. 1.3.2c

Art Critique (Analysis)(continued)

5. Content: What do you think the artwork is all about after carefully examining its parts?
What story, what message, and what argument is the artist trying to tell?

• This piece depicts a traditional religious engagement ritual. This painting depicts a
young couple kneeling on a bamboo platform accepting their tribe leader's blessings.
The seated wedding guests and enthusiastic nude dancers who have gathered to
celebrate the auspicious event are protected by humble scaffoldings. The azure
mountain ranges in the background added to the story's aesthetic appeal. It simply states
that having such a practice was a blessing. It is truly one-of-a-kind and gorgeous, and we
should be proud of it. We are a people that have a rich and beautiful tradition, which we
must love and embrace.

6. Analysis: Further dig into the artist’s intention in terms of the relationship of each part
to the whole. Keep asking why, and try to answer them based on visual clues. Research
further if needed, especially if there is historical connection.

• I finally got an answer as I dug more into the painters' motivation for making this painting.
"Muslim Betrothal," an expensive oil painting by Carlos "Botong" Villaruz Francisco, was
the title of this painting. It depicts the Tausug tribe of the Philippines during an
engagement ritual. The painting depicts a young couple kneeling on a bamboo platform
accepting blessings from an imam. The seated wedding guests and enthusiastic nude
dancers who gather to celebrate the significant occasion are protected by humble
scaffoldings. Blue mountains recede into the horizon, providing a welcome break from
the otherwise tumultuous composition. The work's tangled structure is reminiscent of
Diego River's meticulously built fresco "The Great City of Tenochtitlan."
7. Your own criticism about the work: provide a coherent and convincing judgment
about the work.

• For me, this artwork looked incredibly realistic. The artist's notion appeals to me. He did
an excellent job with the color and tones he used. It's incredible how he applied a typical
attack to it. It was a simple piece of artwork with a lot of meaning as you looked at it.
The actions of the character he uses here occur in real life as well. The painting's visual
ambiance appeals to me.