How to Write Art Criticism

Do you find that writing about the arts helps you to know what you are thinking? Do you wish to explore this further? Perhaps someone has asked you to write about an exhibit for the neighborhood newspaper. Here are some basic steps for art writing and criticism that you may use like a checklist.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Notepad
• Pencil

1. Schedule at least an hour to see the exhibit and take notes. Take copious notes
   
   If possible, write only about art that you want to think about and spend time with. When you figure this out, go to the exhibit with a notepad and write down everything that pops into your head no matter how silly it seems. Art has no rules and neither should you at this point – your article will be your artwork.
2. When you sit down to start quickly type out a messy draft. This will assure that your article keeps the juice of your vision, thought and imagination. Only after you have written freely from your heart and gut should you rein things in via structure – otherwise your article won’t be interesting, and then what would be the point?
3. Describe the work
   
   Your article may be the only chance a reader has to experience the show. You will need to ground them with some description – also, read and include some of the information on the artist that is available at the gallery, and have the gallery send press release photos to your editor.
4. Interpret the art
   
   It is probably ‘about’ something. Read the artist’s statement and figure out if their intent is coming through to you the viewer. You are free to interpret the work – just being a contemporary human being with an interest in art is license enough for you to give your impressions. Does their art remind you of someone else’s, or of something you have seen in the news recently? Tell us about that.
5. Judging.
   
   This isn’t about slamming the art, this is about what you think is good, or is ‘working’ in the art and what isn’t and what you base your opinions on. If you aren't comfortable with this at first, skip it until you have a few articles under your belt.
6. Have fun.
   
   Mix things up. Take along a friend and write a duel critique. Talk about the art from the point of view of a character in one of the paintings. Exercises such as these can help you to see the work from angles other than your own, broadening your views and your readership.

Tips & Warnings

• A stellar resource for writing about art is Terry Barrett's "Criticizing Art: Understanding the Contemporary," The Ohio State University (c) 2000