The Critique Handbook [Paperback]

Kendall Buster (Author), Paula Crawford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 20, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0131505440 | ISBN-13: 978-0131505445 | Edition: 1

Appropriate for use in critique at any level-from the beginner to the advanced student. Its uniqueness and universal application in visual arts curriculum make The Critique Handbook an excellent introduction for beginners and a valuable resource for more experienced students. This text was written to address an existing gap in the literature pertaining to the study of art. Although the critique is central to all art programs, there have been no textbooks or comprehensive guides that deal with this important instructional tool. The Critique Handbook fills the need for such a book. Quotes: "The Critique Handbook is a well organized and useful text. Most immediately useful -- and inventive -- are the exercises toward the back of the book." Stu Thompson, Ph.D. Professor of Art Seton Hill University

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

How do we see, think about, and evaluate works of art?

 

At once a theoretical investigation of the underlying nature of the studio critique as well as a practical manual for participation in this fundamental studio practice, The Critique Handbook is an invaluable resource for examining the uses and mis-uses of artistic analysis. Presenting hundreds of examples drawn from every genre of artmaking, noted artists Kendall Buster and Paula Crawford address the complexity of what actually occurs in critiques. Their book fills a serious gap in the art studio, as they scrutinize a practice that has been largely unquestioned and provide models for more informed and effective ways of conducting and taking part in critiques. Their observations, which can be applied to beginning through advanced studio courses, bring to light the underlying social and power dynamics of critiques and offer illuminating advice on how to make critiques more cogent and evenhanded. They also offer advice for participants on how to prepare for critiques and benefit more fully from them.

 

Simultaneously thoughtful and witty, this book is written in a style that is elegant and eminently readable. The Critique Handbook promises to become an indispensable and timeless text on this subject, doing for the art studio what The Elements of Style has done for the writer’s workshop.

 

 

Kendall Buster, whose extensive exhibition record spans national and international venues, is the recipient of an American Academy of Arts and Letters award. Buster is Associate Professor of Sculpture at Virginia Commonwealth University. 

 

Paula Crawford has had exhibitions in the United States, Canada, and Latin America, and directs the painting program at George Mason University, where she is Associate Professor.

About the Author

Kendall Buster, whose extensive exhibition record spans national and international venues, is the recipient of an American Academy of Arts and Letters award. Buster is Associate Professor of Sculpture at Virginia Commonwealth University. 

 

Paula Crawford has had exhibitions in the United States, Canada, and Latin America, and directs the painting program at George Mason University, where she is Associate Professor.

Product Details

• Paperback: 150 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1 edition (February 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0131505440
• ISBN-13: 978-0131505445
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 4.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #179,436 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Critique of The Critique Handbook, November 3, 2006

By 

Peter Ellzey "LZ" (Santa Fe, NM) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Critique Handbook (Paperback)

I am an adjunct photography professor at a private college. This book was used as a text for a joint workshop on The Critique for the art department of our school and another local college. Given the complexity of the subject matter, this book does a good job of covering the basics of an art school critique. I particularly appreciated the discussion regarding the role of faculty and the personal baggage we sometimes forget we can bring to the party. It's impossible to cover all the possible permutations of The Critique, but this book does a fine job of highlighting the peculiarities of several art disciplines and the details that should be addressed. It gives you a springboard to make the conversion even if your discipline isn't specifically covered.

If you teach art or hold critiques in your class, I believe you will find this book very helpful.

My only quibble is the type size for my aging eyes. Don't be fooled by the physical size of this book. It may be compact but it makes up for it with density.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars From a College Painting Professor, January 10, 2010

By 

Reader and Writer "Chris" (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Critique Handbook: The Art Student's Sourcebook and Survival Guide (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

First off, thirty bucks is waaaaay to much to spend on this book. For that reason alone I'll never assign it to students, they can read it on reserve or in the library. The content is not worth that money since so much of the same information exists on the net. Whats good: It covers basics of old school critiques such as leave your ego at the door, talk about the formal qualities of the work, etc. What's not so good: It presents a model of critques implicitly stressing formative assessment (judging each work). The model also does not readily account for various contemporary ideas about what might make a work of art exciting, such as how many questions the work of art raises, which can directly contradict the old school model of judging art. I worry too that the book does not deal very well with art that doesn't conform to the European/North American idea of "good", which students will tell you is a bagful of outdated rules. It's a start, but by no means would I recommend putting all your eggs in this basket, as a student or as an instructor. A good second year class, for example, will already want to break many of the "rules" found in this book.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific book!, March 25, 2006

By 

Art Professor (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Critique Handbook (Paperback)

What a fantastic idea! How is it that something as essential and ubiquitous as the studio critique had not been examined in this way before? This book takes on the task brilliantly. "The Critique Handbook" is a wonderful mixture of how-to manual, theoretical analysis, irreverent debunker and basic gameplan. The authors' analysis of how to make the best use of the critique applies both to those giving the critique as well as to those receiving them. While students will find the book quite useful in learning how to negotiate the critique and find the best uses for the information presented to them there, professors and other professionals will also find much to think about in the authors' analysis of what makes a critique helpful and harmful. And, delightfully, the authors are not afraid to take on the sacred cows of the profession. Any art professor will appreciate the witty and deadly portraits of their colleagues sketched by Buster and Crawford in their analysis of the types that can be found in the artist's studio.