Criticizing Art

Criticizing Art: Understanding the Contemporary takes readers inside the world of contemporary art and shows them how to think, write, and talk about art. Throughout, the principles of art criticism are presented and applied to contemporary forms of American art giving students of art and art history a solid framework for critically considering contemporary art through describing, interpreting, evaluating, and theorizing.

"Criticizing Art: Understanding the Contemporary helps students of art and art history better understand and appreciate contemporary art by studying the principles of art criticism and applying them to contemporary forms of American art. This book provides a framework for critically considering contemporary art through describing, interpreting, evaluating, and theorizing." "The diverse perspectives of contemporary critics such as Douglas Crimp, Arthur Danto, Elizabeth Heartney, Donald Kuspit, Lucy Lippard, Peter Plagens, and Arlene Raven on the work of Leon Golub, Jenny Holzer, Frida Kahlo, Elizabeth Murray, Martin Puryear, William Wegman, and many other artists help readers develop their own critical positions." "Chapter 5, "Theory and Art Criticism," offers clear definitions of modernism, post-modernism, feminism, and multiculturalism, enabling readers to understand the critical milieu in which twentieth century critics have been operating." "An entire chapter (Chapter 6) devoted to writing and talking about contemporary art leads readers through the process of preparing thoughtful, well-constructed critical analyses. Two student papers provide useful examples of the principles discussed throughout the text. Guidelines for constructive group criticism are also included."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

History of art criticism - Describing and interpreting art - Judging art - Writing and talking about art - Theory and art criticism.

Why is that art? Why is it in an art museum? Who says it's art? Why is it good? Why Is That Art?, Third Edition, introduces students to theories of art through the presentation of contemporary works that include abstract and representational painting, animated film, monumental sculpture, performance art, photographs, relational art, and video installations. Ideal for courses in aesthetics, art theory, art criticism, and the philosophy of art, this unique book provides students with a newfound appreciation for contemporary art, scholarship, and reasoned argumentation.

Emphasizing the understanding of images and their influences on how they affect our attitudes, beliefs, and actions, this fully updated sixth edition offers consequential ways of looking at images from the perspectives of photographers, critics, theoreticians, historians, curators, and editors. It invites informed conversations about meanings and implications of images, providing multiple and sometimes conflicting answers to questions such as: What are photographs? Should they be called art? Are they ethical? What are their implications for self, society, and the world? From showing how critics verbalize what they see in images and how they persuade us to see similarly, to dealing with what different photographs might mean, the book posits that some interpretations are better than others and explains how to deliberate among competing interpretations. It looks at how the worth of photographs is judged aesthetically and socially, offering samples and practical considerations for both studio critiques for artists and professional criticism for public audiences. This book is a clear and accessible guide for students of art history, photography and criticism, as well as anyone interested in carefully looking at and talking about photographs and their effects on the world in which we live.

Art criticism is spurned by universities, but widely produced and read. It is seldom theorized and its history has hardly been investigated. The State of Art Criticism presents an international conversation among art historians and critics that considers the relation between criticism and art history and poses the question of whether criticism may become a university subject. Contributors include Dave Hickey, James Panero, Stephen Melville, Lynne Cook, Michael Newman, Whitney Davis, Irit Rogoff, Guy Brett and Boris Groys.

Ben Davis draws the curtain back on the contemporary art world to assail its commodified roots.

This brief text is designed to help both beginning and advanced students of photography better develop and articulate thoughtful criticism. Organized around the major activities of criticism (describing, interpreting, evaluating, and theorizing), "Criticizing Photographs" provides a clear framework and vocabulary for students' critical skill development. The fourth edition includes new black and white and color images, updated commentary, a completely revised chapter on theory that offers a broad discussion of digital images, and an expanded chapter eight on studio critiques and writing about photographs, plus examples of student writing and critique. .