READING ASSIGNMENT 1

1. Description is criticism that is based on data-gathering process where everything matters, such as facts about the artist and the title of the piece. A formal analysis is a combination of description and interpretation, and reported descriptions should be relevant to interpretative, evaluative, and theoretical ideas. Description is dependent on interpretation, and can be infinite; however, whether the description is productive depends on its relevancy.
   
2. The author mainly uses the example of Avedon's "In the American West" exhibit to support their thesis. Art Critic Davis explains Avedon's history of being a fashion designer, and that his new exhibition was different from his previous work and long-awaited. Davis' review includes facts both about the exhibit as well as the artist himself, revealing that he is aware of Avedon's acclaim, which in turn affects his interpretation of the exhibit and allows him to be more open-minded with the famous designer. On the other hand, critic Susan Weiley sees the exhibit as fashion and not art, using Avedon's history in a way opposite to that of Davis. Avedon's history affects Weiley's interpretation by influencing her belief that he is more of a fashion designer than a photographer.
   
3. a) Description is when one gathers factual evidence about a piece of art. Whether it be about the piece itself or the artist who created it, all facts are pertinent to form a description. To describe a photograph, one must gather all of the information they can find about the photo and share it with others.
   b) Subject matter identifies the persons, places, or objects within a photo. However, the subject is the theme or meaning of the photo in its entirety. Subject matter is the physical image, while the subject is what that image represents.
   c) Form is how the subject matter is presented. A photograph's form is how it is composed and constructed visually. So, principles of design such as color, shape, and texture are used to create a photo's form.
   d) Medium is what an art piece is made of. A portrait's medium could be either a painting or a photograph. There are also mediums within mediums: a photograph's medium could be a photogram, which is a photograph taken without a camera.
   e) Style is a resemblance among art from an artist, location, or time period. Style is recognized through the presentation of subject matter and the use of principles of design. For example, an artist's style could be their repetitive use of rough texture in their paintings.
   
4. a) One way to critique an artist's work is to compare it with the works of others. Comparing and contrasting is to look at two or more pieces of art and see what is similar and what is different about them. Compare and contrast is used in criticism as a rating system to see how one artist rivals with a more popular one.
   b) Internal and external information is what one gathers about a particular painting through extensive research. Internal information is what is presented in the artwork. External information is outside research into the life and mindset of the artist.
   
5. a) It's impossible to describe without interpretation. It is also impossible to interpret without description. A critic needs to keep their descriptions relevant, but what one considers relevant is dependent on their interpretation of the artwork.
   b) Evaluation is the judgement of a critic. A critic's judgement often influences their description. A description may carry a positive or negative tone depending on the critic's evaluation of the piece.
   
6. a) Description, interpretation, and evaluation are intertwined with each other. A description needs to be relevant, and that relevancy is dependent on a critic's interpretation, and part of that interpretation is the critic's evaluation of the artwork. Description is important to readers because it is how they learn to appreciate and understand the artwork. Description provides information and perspectives that the readers may have never been able to experience themselves.
   b) I learned from the reading that description is dependent on interpretation. So, when critiquing a piece of art, the opinions of the critic is pertinent to their reviews. I also learned that external information matters when it comes to interpreting a piece. By just staring at a photo, I can't really gather much from it, but when I learn the photographer's intention behind the photo, then my whole perspective is changed.
   c) In conclusion, there are many aspects to criticism and description. A critic's interpretation and evaluation, the internal and external information, and the medium, form, style, and subject of the artwork all play important parts in forming a description. Also, the descriptions of critic's are important to readers as well because it teaches them how to understand and appreciate the piece of art.
   d) I personally thought this chapter to be rather enlightening. I have been taking an Aesthetics and Criticism class, so I've been thinking a lot about the topic of criticism when it comes to art. This chapter was a clearer way to explain the aspects and importance of criticism compared to the ramblings of some guy from the 1700's that I have been reading.