Overview

Art Criticism is the conversation about art. It’s asking: “What does this mean?” and “Is it any good?”

Core Idea

The core idea is Interpretation. Art is a language, and the critic is the translator.

Formal Definition

The description, analysis, interpretation, and judgment of works of art.

  • Formalism: Judging art by its form (color, line) only.
  • Contextualism: Judging art by its context (history, politics).

Intuition

  • The Guide: A good critic is like a tour guide. They point out things you might have missed.
  • The Filter: Critics help filter the massive amount of art produced.

Examples

  • Clement Greenberg: Championed Abstract Expressionism (Pollock).
  • John Ruskin: Championed the Pre-Raphaelites.

Common Misconceptions

  • Misconception: It’s just opinion.
    • Correction: It is informed opinion, backed by history and theory.
  • Misconception: Critics just hate everything.
    • Correction: Critics love art; that’s why they hold it to a high standard.

Applications

  • Journalism: Reviews.
  • Academia: Theory.

Criticism and Limitations

  • Elitism: Critics can be out of touch with what normal people enjoy.

Further Reading

  • Ways of Seeing by John Berger