HW Assignment- Art Criticism Paper (50 pts.) Art Major II

Assignment Goal: Art criticism is the discussion or evaluation of visual art. One of art criticism's goals is the pursuit of a rational basis for art appreciation. You will put yourself in the position of an art critic for this assignment, and go through the four-step formal critique process. “Formal” implies that the critique is based on a scholarly process.

Directions: 1. Choose an artwork to critique. 1. The artwork must not be a famous or well-known piece (i.e. we should not be able to find it, or its artist, on Wikipedia). 2. Choose an artwork that interests you in some way (this does not mean you have to love it) 3. Suggested websites to search for an artwork: o Ebsqart.com o Pinterest.com  Print out a color copy of the artwork to turn in with your essay (mandatory!)

2. Type a four-paragraph essay critiquing the artwork. You may use all class notes and materials as references, especially the handout outlining the four steps of a formal art critique. Your paragraphs must be structured in this format and order: 1. Description 2. Analysis 3. Interpretation 4. Judgment

3. Do not quote or cite any other resource. The essay should be 100% of our own creation. Any evidence of plagiarism will result in a zero!

4. Refer to the rubric to make sure you are meeting all criteria of the assignment. HW Assignment – Art Criticism Paper Grading Rubric (50 pts.)

Name: ______Due: ______CRITERIA SCORE POINTS COMMENTS Paragraph 1: Description  Pure description of the artwork without value judgments, analysis, or 10 interpretation.  Answer the question, “What do you see?”

Paragraph 2: Analysis  Determining what the features suggest and deciding why the artist used such features to convey 10 specific ideas.  Answer the question, “How did the artist create it?”

Paragraph 3: Interpretation  Establishing the broader context for the artwork based on the visual clues you collected in prior 10 steps.  Answer the question, “Why did the artist create it, and what does it mean?” Paragraph 4: Judgment  Determine the degree of artistic merit.  Answer the question, 10 “Is the artwork successful?”

Spelling, Grammar, Sentence Structure  Paper is written well, and proofread  No sentence fragments or 10 misplaced punctuation  Written in the third person  Every 3 major errors = 1 point deduction Lateness -5 pts.  Subtract 10% of grade for each class per period the project is late day Total Points 50