Genres Generals

Evaluation Criteria for the Non-Artist

So, you're standing in a museum or gallery room looking at a painting. It's one of those moments in which you feel a comment is necessary because it's just you and that one other person who straggled behind their tour. You muster up the most profound observation you can, only to end up with, "yeah...the colors are...pretty."
Not that there's anything particularly wrong with that, but I'm sure a more eloquent manner in which to express your feelings on the subject at hand might carry out with more prestige.
The following are a list of criteria and technical terms in various genres to identify in artworks that are sure to make you sound like you've been well-versed in your art matter.


Paintings
These two-dimensional works are best described by their most obvious elements: mediums. If it's shiny (oily, even) and impossibly perfectly blended, chances are it's an oil painting. Oil is the most high-quality paint one can find. If you're looking at a particularly old oil painting, it usually is yellowed from varnish, a layer of gloss commonly applied to a finish oil, and is slightly cracking. A fair amount of paintings pre-modern-era are oil. A good example of such an artwork is Italian painter Paolo Veronese’s, Portrait of a Sculptor, an oil on canvas.

The next most common paint, especially in modern-day paintings, is acrylic. Popular for its quickness in drying and inexpensive cost, this paint is used widely in large-scale works as it saves money and allows the artist to work quickly. These paintings are detectable in their more matte look, though, if used skillfully, the paint still blends colors just as well as oil. However, the quality is never the same finish as an oil painting.

In addition, we have also watercolor, gouache and tempera paint as well. Watercolor has the most translucent appearance, as it is paint applied by mixing dry paint with water. Contemporary artist Brendy Vaughn’s shows the result of such multi-layering.

It is usually applied layer upon layer of thin, watery-looking colors. Gouache and tempera are, I won't lie, better left to identify by reading the plaque beside the artwork. It's ok, you can cheat.


Sculpture
This is, to be frank, a tricky realm. Sculpture can be anything from traditional clay-based materials to "found objects," which sometimes can be random crud found on the street. Yes, even crud (Google Chris Ofili if curiosity is piqued).

Now, if made from earthy materials (clay composites), there are two basic things you should know: 1) it was originally hand-modeled from a mushy mess into the concrete object standing before you. That in itself is pretty impressive. This method is called modeling. The Greek kamares jar pictured on left is one such example of modeling. 2) in order to get to that concrete stage, it underwent a super-baking process, known as firing. If it has color, it’s called a glaze. If it's just its natural color, then it's just been bisque-fired. If it is a plaster object, however, it is made of a material that is similar to clay, based of a powder and water. This material is often used to make cast molds of objects, a process by which the material is wrapped around an object until it solidifies, leaving behind a hard replica. This technique is often used to for the impressive-looking Greek and Roman sculptures found in museums (gasp! they're not real!).



Another form of sculpture is made by the subtraction, or carving, method, These can be made from any number of materials, including granite, marble, wood and even concrete. Take, for instance, Michaelangelo’s St. Theresa in Ecstasy. Michelangelo would hand-pick giant slabs of marble and import them from hundreds of miles to create his stunning works. This work is initially chiseled from a solid block of marble and then smoothed and chiseled until a masterpiece unveils.

Other forms of sculpture that are based on a mixed array of materials are really up to the own viewer's interpretation. I have seen in my time some rather oddly composed works, including a recent stuffed toy dog wrapped in a quilt with toe socks hanging off it. There was really no visual cohesion. It made me want to hug it, however, so I can only assume it had worth of some kind.


Other Media

Everything that isn’t sculpture or art, for the sake of brevity and lack of expertise in these areas, I will define as, “other media.” Modern graphic design work, installations, performance art, video art, photography—it’s all extremely varied. The only advice I can offer is to rely on your immediate reactions. Technical skill in these genres is not qualifiable, as they rely heavily on modern technology, not human skill. Instead, look for balance in contrast, forms, and colors. If the work harmonizes well or makes you think critically about subject or message being conveyed, it is worth the time. Local Austin artist Eric Zimmerman’s work is provides a great example of an installation work that is aesthetically appealing. Comprised of a combination of sketches, sculptural and projection works, it forms to make one astounding whole.

One Last Word to the Wise

Now, though you may often hear that artists’ works are to be appreciated and respected because they are simply a form of expression, I believe that this a false supposition. If something particularly offends you or irks your judgment in a way that is not pleasing, I don’t believe it merits any praise. However, if you should happen to encounter such a work, do refrain from ostentatious or conspicuous demonstration of dislike.

I also would, as an artist (even if not a “true” artist), beg that you first consider the work both critically and intuitively. Only by employing both methods may you come to decide if this work is, in fact, for you. Art is, after all, meant to be enjoyed—it is the language readable by all—regardless of background or age. So, enjoy.