1.Instruments of art critique and how to apply them (+example)

Critical analysis of an artwork is a multilayered and detail - oriented activity. As any other complex thing, criticism requires splitting into separate parts that can be applied to a certain characteristic of an artwork. Such approach simplifies both the process, for the analyst, and the perception of the final material for the reader. Therefore, creating your own strategic scheme of analyzing can boost the effectiveness of your work. 

The basic principles of art criticism include the following stages: description, analysis, interpretation, evaluation/theory. Description is merely about the visual perception. It is a tool used for telling about your basic observations: shapes, colors, materials, size, etc. Next stage - analysis - is similarly based on the observation, but  a deeper one. It is the when you start to dig into the technical side of the artwork, it's structure, the means and techniques that artist applied, patterns that the artist followed during the process. Interpretation is where subjective associations of the critic can be expressed. Based on the observations from previous stages, some conclusions can be made about possible goals of an artist, his position and themes that are touched upon. is a personal emotional response to the artwork. A critic can tell about the feelings that an artwork evokes, describe the general mood of the artwork and give some personal characteristics as to it's aesthetic value.Evaluation can be explained as a characteristic of an artwork and it's effectiveness from the critic's personal viewpoint. Is is 'working' in the way it's made/installed/placed. The next stage - theory - is applied in order to place an artwork within a certain context. Can it be a link to some existing theoretical material, the art movement the work belongs to, connection to cultural/geographical affiliation or the place of the artwork within other works by the same artist. It helps to see an artwork in a broader context aimed to ease it's perception.

I will demonstrate the tools of art critique by analyzing a controversial piece of public art - a tribute mural of David Bowie. The artwork is an example of local art, that is not a meaningful part of art world in a global sense. I found it interesting to take this kind of example instead of analyzing some well-known works, because it is easier to avoid prejudice towards the artist and effect of public opinion.

The actively talked through image of a famous singer appeared overnight in Sheffield and became a real newsflash for the locals. And this work is truly difficult to ignore: 2,1 meters high image of an iconic Bowie's character Aladdin Sane, flaunts in the center of mundane city life (description). Trik - a self-taught graffiti artist responsible for the mural, explained his intentions were to tribute a recently passed away Bowie, which is pretty obvious. That could be a reason why he had chosen a rather open and crowded place where it could be viewed by many people(analysis). 

Nevertheless, it is also obvious that the artist did not aim towards a realistic representation (analysis) and it became the main cause for such controversial public reaction. Rough caricature quality together with the inaccurate picturing of facial features (analysis) creates a slight impression of mockery over Bowie's persona rather than evokes a feeling of sorrow and respect towards him(evaluation).  As twitted by one of the viewers "A novel idea would be to have a tribute that looks like Bowie, who is that a picture of?" It looks like due to the apparent unlikeness with the person it had to praise, the work lost it's mourning value for the viewers (interpretation).  

Needless to say, it was not the only tribute of that kind. In comparison to another mural  installed in Bowie's hometown, Trik's work experienced a rather fierce critique (theory). Even though the Brixton tribute is of a similar aesthetic value, it is much more appealing as it managed to preserve the features of a memorial (theory). The artist's reaction to critique was quite passive that might be a sign of his genuine intentions , as he expressed his feelings in honor of the person he admired (interpretation) and commented it as"..I've got to do what I've got to do."

                                                     Mural in Brixton

Reference list:

BBC News (2016). 'David Bowie Sheffield tribute mural ridiculed on social media'. [Online]. Available at: <http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-35484297> (Accessed: 6 October 2017).