- Visit the website What’s on Los Angeles (Links to an external site.) and browse the various museums and galleries throughout the greater Los Angeles area. When you visit a museum or gallery website, take a look at the current exhibition/s. Select one work of art from a recent exhibition for your review.
- Decide on a publication that you will be writing for. This can be a made-up publication or an actual publication like The Los Angeles Times or Art in America.
- Write your review. Refer to the formatting instructions below. It will need to be between 500-700 words in length and double spaced. Include relevant vocabulary terms from the module readings, videos, and assignments.
- Include an image/s of the artwork. This can be embedded within the text or at the end of the review.
Name of Publication (20pt Bold and Underlined)
Title of Your Review (18pt Bold)
Museum/Gallery Name (12pt Bold)
By: Your Name (12pt)
Date (12pt)
(Introduction)
For this portion of your review, give information about the exhibition you are viewing. Although you are not required to go out and view the exhibition in person, you can write about it as if you did. For instance: “This Saturday I had the opportunity to visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to see their latest exhibition of paintings by artist Julie Mehretu.” In the introduction, consider including the following information:
- The name of the artist/s.
- The title of the show, and how long it will be open.
- The name of the museum/gallery you visited.
- The title of the artwork you are reviewing
**Lastly, finish the introduction by stating your opinion. What does this work communicate to you and why do you like or dislike it?
(Body Paragraph #1 – Description)
Give a detailed description of the artwork.
- Share some background information about the artist if possible.
- Tell the reader where the artwork is located (i.e. what is the viewing context).
- Provide detailed information about the artwork if you did not include this in the introduction:
- What is the subject? Is it representational or abstract?
(Body Paragraph #2 – Formal Analysis)
For this paragraph, tell the reader what formal properties (e.g. line, shape, color, etc.) are present in the artwork and what they communicate? What message do these formal properties communicate, and how does this relate to your opinion about the work?
**You can divide this section into additional paragraphs if necessary.
(Body Paragraph #3 – Art Historical Reference)
To further support your opinion, compare or contrast the artwork you are reviewing with one of the many artworks we have discussed in class. This can be an artwork you read about in the textbook, watched in the module videos, or wrote about in the module discussions.
Explain how this artwork is similar or different to the work of art you are reviewing. For instance, if the artwork you are reviewing addresses concepts of beauty, you might make a comparison to the ideal form of beauty the ancient Greek artist Polykleitos attempted to portray with his Doryphoros sculpture.
Lastly, and most importantly, discuss how this comparison relates to your opinion about the artwork you are reviewing.
(Conclusion)
Wrap up your review by restating your opinion. Describe what this experience has taught you, and give general comments to your readers about what you hope they learn from reading your review and whether or not they should see the show for themselves.
