Critical Writing for the Visual Arts
Sharon Tofler
Head Teacher, Visual Arts
Brigidine College, Randwick
What is the role of the art critic?
The art critic always writes from a knowledge base and should do more than just give their own opinion.
The art critic's major role is to:
Evaluate a work of art
Describe its qualities - inform
Interpret the work - decipher its signs, symbols, codes and conventions
Make a judgement as to its value or its significance
Convince and/or persuade an audience
And sometimes to determine the artist's reputation and influence attendance at an exhibition and even the purchasing power
What approach should I take as an art critic?
When examining different approaches of art critics one needs to look at:
The types of language they use
Their writing style
Who are their chosen audience?
Is their writing passionate?
Does it arouse curiosity?
Does it shock?
Do they have the ability to recognise great works in spite of the fact they may be going against a trend?
Writing a critical review
Find an exhibition, either at the Art Gallery of New South Wales or a gallery of your choice.
The review is to be written for the quarterly Journal Art and Australia. It is to be no longer than 750 words. You will need to consider the fact that you will be writing for an informed audience.
The following are some approaches you may like to take for the current exhibition showing at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. You will need to consider the point of view from which you will be writing.
Self Portrait: Renaissance to Contemporary
Frames
Cultural Frame
How do the portraits reflect the time in which they were painted in terms of:
- Politics
- Gender
- Religion
- World events
- Art movements (you could set up an argument for or against traditional versus contemporary)
A post-modern approach
- In what ways have these works been innovative?
- How have changes in technology affected their artmaking practice?
- How has the role of women artists changed?
- How do the myths and histories created around artists and artworks influence your understanding of the works?
- What is the role of the mirror or of the reflection?
Conceptual Framework: artist-artwork-audience-world
The Role of the Self Portrait
- To show pride in the artist's profession
- A signature of style
- To experiment with techniques
- Experimenting in conveying a variety of emotions
- To display gender
- As a vehicle for artists to assume different roles
- To show status of the sitter
- To show the idea of patronage
Conceptual Framework: artist-audience
The relationships between the artist and his/her audience:
- Is it an intimate one?
- Is the audience allowed in to the privacy of the artist's psychological space
- Does the work demand a response from its viewer?
- Is the work confronting in pose, gaze composition etc?
These are only a few suggestions. Before you begin you might like to read some current examples of writing by Australian art critics.
Both John McDonald and Sebastian Smee have written about this exhibition from divergent points of view. Look up their articles and analyse the language used as well as the quality and quantity of factual information incorporated into their writing.
Remember editing is a process all good writers go through. Your first attempt should not be your final copy.
Good Luck.
[The New Word Order] | 
