Basic 2 · Creative Arts · Appreciating and Appraising
Guidelines for Viewing Visual Art
In this topic you will agree on guidelines for looking at artworks and talking about them.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Agree on rules for an exhibition
- Use steps to talk about an artwork
- Express feelings politely
What you already know
- Planning an exhibition
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
- Strand
- Visual Arts
- Sub-strand
- Appreciating and Appraising
- Indicator
- B2.1.4.6.1 – Agree on guidelines for viewing visual artworks and for expressing own feelings and thoughts about own and others' displayed artworks
Introduction
At the exhibition, visitors walk round and look at your work. How should they behave? How should they talk about the art?
1. Exhibition Rules
- Look but do not touch.
- Speak softly.
- Move along the visitor path.
- Say kind and helpful things.
2. Talking About an Artwork
| Step | Question |
|---|---|
| describe | What do I see? Colours, shapes, materials? |
| explain | What is it about? Which culture does it show? |
| feel | How does it make me feel? |
| judge | What is good about it? How can it be better? |
Remember: Start with something good. Then suggest one way to improve.
New words
- guideline
- A rule that guides us.
- describe
- To say what you see.
- judge
- To decide how good something is.
- improve
- To make better.
Summary
- At an exhibition, look, do not touch and speak softly.
- Describe, explain, feel and judge an artwork.
- Say kind words first, then suggest improvements.
Class activity: Art Talk
- Choose a classmate's artwork.
- Use the four steps to talk about it.
- Listen when your partner talks about yours.
You need: Learners’ own artworks, Label cards cut from manila paper, String, Clothes pegs
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Which is an exhibition rule?
- A. Look but do not touch
- B. Run around
- C. Shout
- D. Touch everything
Show answer
Answer: Look but do not touchArtworks can be damaged.2. Which step asks "What is it about?"
- A. Explain
- B. Describe
- C. Feel
- D. Judge
Show answer
Answer: ExplainExplaining gives meaning.3. We should say kind things about others' art.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueIt encourages them.4. The first step is to judge.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: FalseThe first step is to describe.5. A rule that guides us is a ______.
Show answer
Answer: guidelineThat is a guideline.6. Name the four steps for talking about an artwork.
Show answer
Answer: Describe, explain, feel, judge.These are the steps.
Homework
- Use the four steps to talk about a picture in a book at home.