How do we evaluate an art object? This slideshow lays out four theories of art: realism, expressionism, formalism, and post-modernism.

1. Evaluating Art

2. Encountering the object
What do you see?
Does it matter who made it?

3. Encountering the object
Henry Moore (1898-1986) Artist unknown
Reclining Woman, 1927 The Sleeping Lady, ca. 3600 -
Cast concrete 2500 B.C.
British Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, Malta

4. Four theories of art
• Realism
Art portrays reality as we see it
• Expressionism
Art shows feelings and communicates thoughts
• Formalism
Art is significant form
• Post-modernism
Art is critical of accepted power structures

5. Realism
Ron Mueck George Segal
Bed, 2005 Blue Girl on Black Bed, 1976

6. Realism
• The goal of art is to accurately describe reality
• Plato (428 – 348 BC) originated the theory
• Art is an imitation of reality
• Emphasis on craft and beauty

7. Realism
Which one of these is more like reality?

8. Expressionism
Artist anonymous
Alison Saar Power Figure (Nkisi N'Kondi:
Untitled (from the Crossroads Mangaaka), mid to late 19th
installation), 1989 century

9. Expressionism
• Art communicates subjective, personal, and
cultural ideas
• Fidelity to“reality” doesn’t reflect complexity of
subjects
• Art is a special way of knowing the world
• Emphasis on feelings and individual experience

10. Expressionism
What is being expressed?
How does the object communicate?

11. Formalism
Loretta Pettway Barnett Newman
Lazy Gal – Bars, ca. 1965 Concord, 1949

12. Formalism
• “Art for art’s sake”
• Art is important because it can find essence of
form
• Emphasis on abstraction, composition, and an
object’s internal relationships
• Art about essences

13. Are these objects communicating the same thing?
Sean Scully
Raphael, 2004
Willie “Ma Willie” Abrams
Roman Stripes variation, c. 1975

14. Post-modernism
David Hammons Mickalene Thomas
African-American Flag, 1990 Mama Bush: (Your love keeps lifting me)
higher and higher, 2009

15. Post-modernism
• Art meant to question, challenge and provoke
• Emphasis on social experience and not
individual
• Interest in creating new relationships in society
• Art is pluralistic; it tells a truth, not the truth

16. What questions are being asked in these?
David Hammons Mickalene Thomas
African-American Flag, 1990 Mama Bush: (Your love keeps lifting me)
higher and higher, 2009

17. • What is your philosophy of art?
• Is there a “best” way to approach artwork?
• Do theories help to look at artwork?