Students today we will how to sound knowledgeable when we see art. Or as Picasso is quoted to say ” Artist paint not what you see but you know is there”. Yet how do we understand what we “know is there”? Here (below) are some facts that might help.
(1) Is the art Figurative or Abstract? If the subject is discernible you can assume that it is figurative while if the art is arranged in some harmonious pattern but no clear subject then it’s abstract.
(2) Type of Material used. Most common materials (what art is placed on) include canvas, paper and boards.
(3) Medium- What is used to illustrate the image? The most common mediums include oil paint, pen, ink charcoal. If several mediums are used it’s called a mixed medium.
(4) Meaning- What does the painting convey?
(5) Striking- Try to discover what keeps you looking.
(6) Colors, Shades, Patterns,
(7) Types of Art- (A) Expressionism –Seeing the world through someone’s mood
(B) Still Life – Inanimate objects which portray a deeper meaning
through the artists eyes/mood (objects-rotting apple, diamonds etc.)
(8) Look- Observe the materials, whether the art is rough, slick, neat, carefree what is your upfront description.
(9) See- What is the meaning you can see in the art?/
(10) Think- Is there a deeper interpretation of what you see? Does the artist time reflect the painting you are seeing? Is the culture he/she going through reflected in the art you are witnessing? Could the mental state that the artist be portrayed in the art that you are observing?