TYLISTIC ANALYSIS/CRITICAL EVALUATION –KEY POINTS
Writing a Stylistic Analysis/Critical Evaluation involves gathering facts, examining those facts, and then deciding what those facts may or may not mean. In an academic context, such as college-level art appreciation, such analysis and evaluation must be supported by statements from scholarly, authoritative sources. And such sources must list the author’s full name, the title of the source, appropriate page numbers, and complete publishing information, all of which must be cited per guidelines of The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.
Written stylistic analysis/critical evaluations must also explore (as best as facts allow) the following points whenever they apply directly to the topic:
Description
Artist
Title
Date
Dimensions
Medium
In-situ? (original location vs. present location)
Context (Who, what, when, where, why, and how?)
Compositional Elements
Line
Shape (organic vs. geometric)
Color
Value
Light (real light vs. the portrayal of light, if any)
Texture (real vs. implied)
Space/Volume/Depth (positive shape vs. negative space and the use of perspective, if any)
Balance (symmetrical vs. asymmetrical)
Unity
Variety
Rhythm
Movement (real vs. implied)
Emphasis (or focal point), if any
Audience viewpoint, if any
STYLISTIC ANALYSIS/CRITICAL EVALUATION –SOME DEFINITIONS
Description -artist, title, date, dimensions, medium, present location (in situ?), original location.
Purpose –the context of the work (who, what, when, where, why, how), and was it made as a means to promote/affirm (religious, political), to create an illusion, to emphasize reality, made for permanence, made to be temporary, created to challenge, or made with no purpose?
Elements -shapes (organic, geometric, implied), lines (vertical, horizontal, diagonal, curved, implied), color (primary, secondary, tertiary, complementary, tint, shade, etc.), light (real, implied, source), value (beyond color, the relative light, and dark of the work), texture (real, implied).
Space/Volume –depth (real, implied through linear and/or atmospheric perspective).
Viewer Experience -point of view (real, implied by a line of sight).
Composition –balance (symmetrical, asymmetrical), unity (arrangement of elements to lead the eye), variety (arrangement of elements, often repetitively but with variety, to make the image interesting), rhythm (how the artist uses the visual elements to create beats, similar to that of music, only visually), movement (real, implied), emphasis (focal point, if any).
Also: is the work an example of two-dimensional, three-dimensional, process, installation, performance, temporary, permanent, site-specific, interactive, collaboration, earthwork, and/or conceptual art?
STYLISTIC ANALYSIS/CRITICAL EVALUATION –SOME DEFINITIONS
Description -artist, title, date, dimensions, medium, present location (in situ?), original location.
Purpose –the context of the work (who, what, when, where, why, how), and was it made as a means to promote/affirm (religious, political), to create an illusion, to emphasize reality, made for permanence, made to be temporary, created to challenge, or made with no purpose?
Elements -shapes (organic, geometric, implied), lines (vertical, horizontal, diagonal, curved, implied), color (primary, secondary, tertiary, complementary, tint, shade, etc.), light (real, implied, source), value (beyond color, the relative light, and dark of the work), texture (real, implied).
Space/Volume –depth (real, implied through linear and/or atmospheric perspective).
Viewer Experience -point of view (real, implied by a line of sight).
Composition –balance (symmetrical, asymmetrical), unity (arrangement of elements to lead the eye), variety (arrangement of elements, often repetitively but with variety, to make the image interesting), rhythm (how the artist uses the visual elements to create beats, similar to that of music, only visually), movement (real, implied), emphasis (focal point, if any).
Also: is the work an example of two-dimensional, three-dimensional, process, installation, performance, temporary, permanent, site-specific, interactive, collaboration, earthwork, and/or conceptual art?
STYLISTIC ANALYSIS
I. Description
A. Artist
B. Title
C. Date
D. Dimensions
E. Medium
F. Original location
G. Present location
H. Purpose
II. Compositional Elements
A. Line
1. Identify any use of the four major types of line (vertical, horizontal, diagonal, and curve) and determine why such lines are present
2. Implied line
B. Shape
1. Organic shape
a. Identify the nature of these shapes
2. Geometric shape
a. Identify the geometric composition
3. Implied shape
C. Space
1. Determine the presence, if any, of linear perspective and/or atmospheric perspective.
2. Point of view
a. If the linear perspective is present, deconstruct the image to find the line of sight and thus the eye level of the viewer. Describe the viewer’s point of view based on such.
D. Light
1. In the case of two-dimensional work, determine whether the piece depicts a light source. If so, determine the location of the light source based on the imagery of the work itself. In the case of three-dimensional work, decide how light may have been used to affect the piece.
E. Value
a. Identify the relative light and dark of the work and determine the artist’s intent relative to such
F. Color
1. Identify the presence of primary, secondary, and/or complementary colors and determine why the artist used such
2.
G. Texture
1. Real texture –visible brush strokes, thick paint, wood grain, chisel marks, anything indicating the touch of the human hand or lack of such.
2. Implied texture –representations of real objects.
F. Balance
1. Symmetrical
2. Asymmetrical
G. Variety
1. Use of line, shape, color, texture, value, etc., often repetitively but with variety, to make the image interesting
H. Rhythm
1. Determine the placement and arrangement of line, shape, color, texture, value, etc. to create a visual rhythm, something similar to a musical rhythm.
I. Movement
1. Determine whether there is a sense of movement, whether real or an illusion, its purpose, and how it is achieved.
J. Unity
1. Determine the placement and arrangement of line, shape, color, texture, value, etc. to create a composition designed to move the viewer’s eye around the image.
K. Emphasis
1. Determine the focal point, if any, of the work and how the artist achieves the sense of such.
CHECKLIST –WRITING ABOUT ART
Title (of the written work)
Does the title of the written work make readers what to continue?
Are the main theme (topic) and overall purpose of the written work worded precisely as assigned? For instance, if the topic is “Lightning Field” by Walter de Maria, does the heading (title) read, “‘Lightning Field’ by Walter de Maria”?
Does the title explain precisely what follows?
The First Paragraph
Does the first paragraph succinctly establish the main theme (topic) and the overall purpose of the written word?
Are the main theme (topic) and overall purpose of the written work worded precisely as listed or assigned? For instance, if the topic is “Lightning Field” by Walter de Maria, is “‘Lightning Field’ by Walter de Maria” placed in the first sentence of the first paragraph?
Does the first paragraph make the reader want to continue?
The Art Work(s)
Wherever possible are artworks fully identified with respect to artist, title, medium, dimensions, date, original location, and present location?
Written Text: Style
Are paragraphs organized relative to the main theme (topic) and overall purpose?
Does each paragraph make some unifying reference to the main theme and purpose?
Are paragraphs linked by effective transitions?
Is the writing composed of clearly stated, complete sentences, using the correct English spelling, grammar, and punctuation?
Written Text: Fact vs. Opinion
Are statements truly factual?
Are statements composed of opinions instead of true facts?
Are factual statements well-documented and supported by scholarly, authoritative sources?
Do factual statements shed light on each topic?
Do factual statements expand one’s knowledge?
Are factual statements actually relevant to the main theme (topic) and the overall purpose of the piece?
Written Text: Scholarly, Authoritative Sources
Are scholarly, authoritative sources of factual statements cited per guidelines of the MLA (Modern Language Association of America) Handbook for Writers of Research Papers?
Have you completely avoided using blogs, social networks, travel websites, and Wikipedia for research?
Have you avoided using sources with no author’s name?
Have you completely avoided using information from the Daily Notes postings in Blackboard as source material? (Consult the TCC Southeast library. Not only is the library full of hard-copy books, periodicals, and other excellent, scholarly source material, its filtered databanks are the best place to start when using online resources.)
Written Text: Proper Names
Have you completely avoided referring to the main theme (topic) and any proper name associated with such as “he”, “she”, “it”, etc., unless the topic has already been well-established earlier in the text? (NEVER refer to human subjects by the first name only, for instance, “Diego”, when the topic involves the name, Diego Velasquez. Always use the subject’s full name when first mentioned and then by the last name only thereafter. The exception to this would be if the person is known to us (or widely referred to) by a one-word name only. Referring to Michelangelo simply as, “Michelangelo”, is appropriate. Even though the artist’s full name is Michelangelo Buonarotti, the subject is almost universally referred to as “Michelangelo”. But such is rare. Diego Velasquez, for instance, MUST be mentioned first by the full name, “Diego Velasquez,” and thereafter by the last name only, “Velasquez”.)
Works Cited Page: Scholarly, Authoritative Sources, and MLA Style
Are the works cited page complete and composed per guidelines of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers?
