English for Academic and Professional Purposes

QUARTER 1 – Week 7
Objective/Balanced Review or Critique of A Work of Art, An Event or A Program

Name: _____________________________________ Grade/Section: _______________

My Learning Episodes
Objective/Balanced Review or Critique of a Work of Art,
an Event or a Program

Content Standards The learner understands the principles and uses of a reaction paper/ review/
critique.
Performance Standards The learner produces an objective assessment of an event, a person, a place or a
thing .Writes a comprehensive review /reaction paper
• Performance Arts, Play, Dance, Sports, etc.
• Film
• Participation in a religious or community festival
• Art Exhibit critiques designs such as industrial design objects or craft objects,
furniture, fashion designs based on a set criteria critiques graphic
design communication materials such as posters, billboards, commercials, digital
Most Essential Writes an objective/balanced review or critique of a work of art, an
Learning Competency event or a program. (CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-Id-f-18)
(MELC)
Time Frame 4 HRS (Monday-Thursday)

My Learning Essentials (Essential Topics)

A. What is balanced/objective review or criticism?

It is a system of interpreting, judging, and assessing a person, thing, or any work of art not influenced by
feelings or opinions in considering and presenting facts. It is a systematic way of considering the truthfulness of
a piece of work.

B. To have balanced/objective review of any piece of work, the following are considered:

1. Description. Pure description of the object, piece of work, art, event, etc. It answers the questions:
a. artwork - "What do you see?" (description constitutes form of art, medium, size and scale, elements or
general shapes, color, texture of surface, and context of object).
b. piece of writing - "What do you see?" (form, structure, choice of words, length, genre, etc)

2. Analysis. Determining what the features suggest and deciding why the artist or writers used such features to
convey specific ideas. It answers the questions:
a. artwork - "How did the artist do it?"
b. piece of writing-"How did the writer write it?"
The analysis constitutes the following: determination of subject matter, analysis of the principles of design or
composition, use of symbol and other elements, portrayal of movement and how it is achieved, effect of
particular medium, relationships of each part of the composition to the whole and to each other part, and
reaction to object.

3. Interpretation. Establishing the broader context for this type of art. It answers the questions:
a. artwork -"Why did the artist create it and what does it mean?
b. piece of writing -"Why did the write create it and what does it mean?
Remember: you shouldn’t make your interpretation too arbitrary! Provide evidence and point out what exactly
influenced your understanding of the artwork.

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Here are the elements that you can include in your interpretation:
 How does this art object make you feel?
 What do you think of when you’re looking at the artwork?
 What did the artist want to tell you as a viewer?
 What do you think about the title of the work? Does it influence your interpretation?
 If you can’t understand a painting or a sculpture, don’t hurry to give a negative response to it. Think of other
critics who have provided a positive evaluation of the examined artwork. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have
your opinion! All you need is to find a good way to express it.
E.g., in this painting, the artist wanted to show us the king’s personality and achievements.
The interpretation constitutes:
(a) Main idea (overall meaning of the work),
(b) Interpretive Statement (Can I express what I think the artwork is about in one sentence), and
(c) Evidence (What evidence inside or outside the artwork supports my interpretation?).

4. Judgment. Judging a piece of work means giving it rank in relation to other works and of course considering
a very important aspect of the visual arts; its originality. It answers the questions “Is it a good artwork?” Is it a
good composition?

Here are some points that can help you write your judgment:
 How do you think: is the work successful or not?
 Does this art object seem original or not?
 What do you feel when looking at this piece of artwork?
 Go back to your first impression. Has anything changed? What did you learn?
 If nothing changed, explain your first reaction to the work.
 What have you learned from this work that you might apply to your own artwork or your thinking?

In judging the piece of work, there must be:

(a) Criteria (What criteria do I think are most appropriate for judging the artwork or writing?),
(b) Evidence (What evidence inside or outside the artwork or piece of writing relate to each criterion?)’ and
(c) Judgment (Based on the criteria and evidence, what is my judgment about the quality of the artwork or piece
of writing?).
E.g., the artwork successfully conveys the atmosphere of a battle through its composition and color scheme.
Learning about its backstory helped me to appreciate the painting even more.

C. How to Critique Different Art Forms

As you can imagine, all kinds of masterpieces are subject to art criticism. For example, you can choose to write
about paintings, drawings, sculptures, or even buildings. And, naturally, all these forms of art have their specific
features!

These tips will provide you with an art critique template for anything, be it an oil painting or a cathedral.
1. Painting Critique. Paint is a medium that emphasizes light, colors, and space.
for example:
 What school of painting does it belong to? Is it typical or unusual for this particular school?
E.g., Monet’s Water Lilies is a typical Impressionist painting.
 Describe the way the artist applies paint. Are there broad paint strokes, small points of color, or just a
smooth surface? What effect does it help to achieve?
E.g., Van Gogh’s broad brush strokes help to create a sense of motion.
 Describe how the light is depicted. Where does the light come from? Is there a strong value contrast? In what
way does the shadow function?
What, in your opinion, does it evoke?
E.g., strong contrast makes the central figures stand out.
 Speak about the handling of space in the picture. Does it look flat or three-dimensional? What kind of
perspective is used? (e.g., one-point perspective, or bird’s eye view?)
E.g., in this painting, Picasso uses multi-dimensional geometrical shapes.

2. Sculpture Critique. Similarly, many specific factors influence the overall impression of a sculpture.
Here are some things to pay attention to:
 Say if the material gives a particular texture to the statue. Is the surface smooth, or is it uneven?
E.g., Rodin’s sculpture has an unusual earthy texture.
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 The surrounding space is just as important as the sculpture itself. Describe the place (in the museum, in a
park, in front of a building) where it is situated. What does it add to the sculpture?
E.g., the statue appears to walk along the road.
 Speak about the color of the sculpture. Is it painted? Does it rely on natural lights and shadows?
E.g., the statue is white. A museum floodlight lights it from above, creating expressive shadows.
 Describe the composition of the sculpture. What does it look like when you approach it? Did the sculptor
provide any instructions on how to position it?
E.g., the statue is enormous and can be viewed from all sides.

3. Architecture Critique. You can write art critiques on architecture, too!

Just bear in mind the following points:
 What architectural style does it belong to?
E.g., the cathedral is a typical Gothic building.
 Was it built with a purpose? Did a specific person request it?
E.g., the Palace of Versailles was requested by Louis IV as a symbol of his monarchy.
 Did one architect complete the building, or were there any alterations?
Why were they made?
E.g., the spire was added to the cathedral much later. It became the integral part of its image.
 What do the exterior and the interior look like? What effect do they produce? Is there a contrast between
them?
E.g., the building has a high ceiling painted like the sky. It also makes the organ music sound louder.
 Are there statues or paintings on the walls? Discuss them as well!
E.g., statues on the cathedral’s facade illustrate scenes from the Bible.

4. Photography Critique. Analyzing a photograph is a lot like critiquing a painting.

Still, there are some unique features to consider:
 How does the photographer use focus? Is any part of the image blurry? What effect does it produce?
E.g., the background is out-of-focus, which has a dreamy effect.
 Is the picture monochrome? If yes, describe its tone, contrast, and shadows. If no, describe the use of color.

E.g., the picture is in black and white, with stark contrasts.

 If it’s a photo of a face, pay extra attention to the emotion it expresses.
If it’s dynamic, discuss the sense of motion.
E.g., the photograph conveys a sense of cheerfulness through the girl’s expression and the use of light.

Example of review of artwork (painting):

The Weeping Woman by Pablo Picasso in France, 1937

Describe:

The Weeping Woman is a painting finished by Pablo Picasso in France, 1937. This type of artwork can be
considered to be expressionism. There isn’t an actual background scene in the painting. The background is
completed with different lines and colors. The woman is the focus point of this painting. She is wearing an

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accessory on top of her head which demonstrates her elegance. My first impression of the artwork is that the
face of the woman is not proportionate and is only painted with lines, no curves. The main colors that are used
in this painting are green, yellow, blue, purple, red and black. The painting is set mainly of lined and little
curves. The mood and visual effect that this painting portrays can be considered to be suffering, and sadness.

Analyze:
The colors that the author uses can be considered to be quite different as each color conveys a separate
impression. The light purple that begins at the bottom top of the woman’s eyes can convey sadness. The other
half of the face is mainly covered in green and yellow; these can be said to interpret other solid emotions that
the painter must have towards this woman as she was a vital character in Picasso’s life. The painting is created
with mainly lines which can mean that the woman had strong physical features or that her different emotions
were felt passionately as lines are usually seen as strong technical elements. The only curves that are being used
are for her hair and eyes. The eyes look quite down or depressive. This is because the woman is crying, which
goes back to the main mood which is suffering.

Interpretation:
I believe that Picasso wanted the audience to feel pain and provide a statement that explains how all women feel
and the agony that they are consistently in. The audience can see that the woman has peeled away her flesh by
corrosive tears to reveal her white bones. The handkerchief she tries to stuff in her mouth seems as a shard of
glass. This vivid image can convey pain and hurting. Picasso has expressed the behavior of this woman several
times and often describes the constant tears that fall off her eyes. So, the feeling conveyed by the artwork is
definitely suffering. Picasso wanted us to feel her and understand the pain that she was going through. It was
not easy to be a woman during that time since females where often frowned upon. Picasso demonstrates the
appreciation that he has for her through this painting as he wants the audience to understand her.

Judge:
Finally, the artist’s value may be to evoke pain, as mentioned previously. This is due to the colors that Picasso
used and the shapes that he draws; not only these technical elements but also the images that the painter uses
within the actual face of the woman. The painting relates to the entire female community. This community can
understand the painting and know what Picasso was trying to portray. Every woman is able understand and
comprehend the message behind this painting as we all feel the same way at one point in our lives. I believe that
this is a strong value in the painting. The weak value lies in the different colors that the painter chooses. I found
it confusing to interpret other areas of the face as the colors that were used didn’t seem to match other locations
of the face.

My Learning Activities (Application)

Directions: Below is the painting of “Bayanihan”; take a look at this, study, analyze, and write a
balanced/objective review of the painting considering the elements discussed. Write your review in paragraph
form in a separate sheet of paper.

My Reflections (Generalization)

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Directions: Complete the paragraph with the necessary words or sentences that best describe what you have
learned from the discussion. Write your paragraph in your notebook. Follow the format below.

I have learned that ____________________________________________________________________

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My Evaluation
This painting below is Tropical Sunset Surfer by Amy Scholten. Surfer girl walks along a tropical
beach during a brilliant red, pink and orange sunset. This painting reflects our primal need for beauty,
warmth and nature.

Directions: With the use of four (4) techniques in writing, take a look at this painting and write a
balanced/objective critique or review. Write your output on a separate sheet of paper.

FEEDBACK
(Teacher’s Feedback based from the result of the evaluation/assessment and if there’s a need for reinforcement;
schedule of reinforcement/face-to-face interaction)
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