The words "criticism" or "critique" often carry a negative connotation, therefore there is a misconception that art criticism is generally negative and often condemns the artworks discussed. However, art criticism is in fact the evaluation and analysis of visual art to help people to have a better understanding and appreciate an artwork and determine its significance. Edmund Feldman developed a four-step model on art criticism which serves as a guide to thoroughly analyse an artwork in an informed and disciplined manner.
Description
The first step to art criticism is describing the artwork in question in full detail by identifying the credit line information of the artwork such as the artist, date, form of art followed by the obvious and immediately distinguishable visual qualities including the subject matter and elements in a neutral and factual tone leaving out any form of judgments and interpretation and focusing just on what is visible.
Analysis
After identifying the visual elements, we should analyze the artwork by focusing on the principles used in the artwork, determining the characteristics and relationships between each elements and how they work together and citing specific examples from the artwork. By studying an artwork in detail, questioning its color palette, patterns, movements and so on, not only reveals the process of the artist in creating the artwork but also helps us to make further connections as we discover the intentions, moods and meaning of the work.
Interpretation
Examining an artwork in a objective manner helps us interpret the work. Based on the previously gathered information, we could propose meanings regardless if it was intended by the artist as our experiences could influence our perception of certain expressions. There are various method to interpret an art, sometimes the meanings are straightforward and sometimes they could be hidden. By questioning the symbols and references of the artwork such as the relationships between the visual elements and the name of the artwork, we could suggest its meaning, what it communicates to viewers.
Theory
Last but not least is evaluating the overall result based on the theories of art, questioning if the style was in anyway influenced by or is a part of certain art movements, compare and contrasting them with other similar artists and making connections to creative, cultural, social, political and economical context. Personal opinions and biases would affect our judgment, but in order to provide a stronger argument, evidence is essential in every step of evaluation .
The South Bronx Bronze
In September 1991, after much anticipation, three statues were installed outside the Forty-Fourth Police Precinct House in the Bronx by artist John Ahearn who was commissioned by the Percent for Art Program to create a public art for the Forty-Fourth Precinct. The three life-size bronze statues of Raymond and Toby, a hooded man kneeling beside his pit bull; Daleesha, a teenage girl on roller skates and Corey, a man with a basketball and a boombox were based on the residents of the neighbourhood whom the artist knew personally. The figures were painted in colours that resemble enlarged comic figurines like the works of artist Takashi Murakami and the infamous "Forever Marilyn" by sculptor J. Seward Johnson highly contrasted with the pedestals they stood on which bring to mind ancient statues which stood on pedestals to make them more imposing and give greater importance to them, often used for figures of worship.
Living in a neighbourhood that is predominantly African-American, Ahearn wanted to create something that well represented it. However, the sculptures sparked off a major controversy the moment it was installed forcing Ahearn to remove it after five days. The way the figures dressed and posed reflected the community of the reality of poverty-stricken neighbourhood. Although his intention was perhaps for these people to be accepted by society by immortalizing them, the negative racial stereotyping did not help and the artwork was deemed insensitive by the locals. Some policemen preferred the word " confrontational" to describe them and it was undeniable that Raymond, Daleesha and Corey displayed the "bad" South Bronx attitudes, in other words " ghetto images ". Many would rather have statues of Martin Luther King or Malcolm X, or children in graduation gowns, men in suits on the way to important jobs downtown to show the positive side of the neighbourhood ( Kramer, 1992 ). The artwork caused such controversy more than two decades ago would most probably not be well received by critics and public today as well, if not worse as society today is more race and difference conscious.
References
Cleveland, C. ( no date ) 'Art Criticism: Definition, Steps & Example' , Study.com. Available at: https://study.com/academy/lesson/art-criticism-definition-steps-example.html ( Accessed: 2 March 2018 ).
Hassan, H. ( 2012 ) '10 of the Most Controversial Pieces of Public Art' , Flavorwire, August 16. Available at: https://www.flavorwire.com/319277/10-of-the-most-controversial-pieces-of-public-art ( Accessed: 2 March 2018 ).
Kramer, J. ( 1992 ) 'Whose Art Is It?' , The New Yorker, December 21. Available at: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1992/12/21/whose-art-is-it ( Accessed: 2 March 2018 ).
Lowe, T. ( 2008 ) 'Art Criticism: How to Criticize a Work of Art' , Redbubble, May 27. Available at: https://www.redbubble.com/people/tlowe2/journal/1192248-art-criticism-how-to-criticize-a-work-of-art ( Accessed: 2 March 2018 ).
Malone, P. ( 2015 ) 'Lessons from 30 Years of NYC’s Percent for Art Program' , Hyperallergic, June 23. Available at: https://hyperallergic.com/217030/lessons-from-30-years-of-nycs-percent-for-art-program/ ( Accessed: 2 March 2018 ).
Meredith Steele. ( 2012 ) Feldman's Method of Art Criticism. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=1b3CvtRMGtg ( Accessed: 2 March 2018 ).
Senelaer, P. ( 2015 ) '5 controversial public art pieces' , Art-Pie, July 22. Available at: http://www.artpie.co.uk/2015/07/5-controversial-public-art-pieces/ ( Accessed: 2 March 2018 ).
South Bronx Bronzes Introduction, Public History ( no date ). Available at: https://hst4080.omeka.net/
exhibits/show/controversial-public-art/south-bronx-bronzes/southbonxbrozesintro ( Accessed: 2 March 2018 )
Wilson, K. 'Art Criticism: Definition, Function & Examples' , Study.com, ( no date ). Available at: https://study.com/academy/lesson/art-criticism-definition-function-examples.html ( Accessed: 2 March 2018 ).
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