Customer Reviews

Practical Art Criticism

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This was one of the most useful books on art criticism that I have come across. One of my concerns as an art education student is the question of how to critique works of art, and furthermore, what methods may be used to pass on this knowledge to my future students? This book, since it was written for practical purposes to be used by art critics, artists, educators, and students alike, supplies its reader with very valuable information regarding the concept of art criticism, the various types of critical review, how criticism is used and applied, and the various "problems" and issues involved in art criticism. Feldman was able to make the issue of criticism easier for his reader to understand, through his use of examples of established artwork, illustrating his thoughts and ideas with easy-to-understand language, and identifying what is perceived in each work of art using various methods of interpretation. Through a variety of ways, Feldman instructed his reader as to how to interpret, judge, and defend their criticism.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable and relatively easy read. I would highly suggest this book for anyone interested in understanding works of art -especially teachers and students. The illustrative examples and explanatory writings relate to the art world of today, but also aids us in our understanding of how to interpret art of the past. In combination with other art criticism books, it is my belief that anyone may learn to interpret, judge, and defend their art and art criticism. Edmund Feldman is a wonderful author and teacher; able to guide his audience through the complex issues surrounding art and its criticism.

'Practical Art Criticism' by Edmund Burke Feldman is informative and highly readable, principally because the author addresses his subject without the befuddling, esoteric jargon usually associated with art criticism. Indeed, this is a practical book that gives the reader percipience into modes of interpretation, rubrics for 'visualizing', sentience of demiurgic intent, apperception of myriad praxes and validation of aesthetic conation.

To quote Paul Simon's brief review on the book's back cover, 'I don't know a lot about Art (since the break-up), but I do know a load of old garfunkel when I see it.'