Explore the work on the website thisiscolossal.com.
A)) Find a work that is easy for you to understand or appreciate, something that reaches you right away. What is the message? What ideas does the work convey? How does the form, structure, media or approach contribute to the understanding of the message / idea? What criteria are you using to evaluate this work? B)) Find a work that is *not* easy for you to understand or appreciate. What are your first impressions? Jot them down. Now, use the T.A.B.U.L.A. approach. Look again. Search for an entry point. Do some research into the background of the artist and/or work. Look some more. Try to answer the same questions as before. What is the message? What ideas does the work convey? How does the form, structure, media or approach contribute to the understanding of the message / idea? What criteria are you using to evaluate this work? C)) What should be the criteria for evaluating art? What are the characteristics of quality work? D)) Reaction Thesaurus What kind of feedback do we really want? What is helpful? What are you really trying to say? What are different ways to react to work? How does artwork make us feel, what do we think about it and how can we say it? What are different ways to react to work? Create a list of reactions to artwork and creativity. Now create variations on that list, a "reaction thesaurus". |
tabula rasa |ˈtäbyo͝olə ˈräsə, ˈräzə|
noun (pl. tabulae rasae |ˈtäbyo͝olē ˈräsē, ˈräzē| ) an absence of preconceived ideas or predetermined goals; a clean slate ORIGIN Latin, literally ‘scraped tablet,’ denoting a tablet with the writing erased. Contemporary art is not always easy to define or put into categories.
Rules, classifications and art movements don’t always apply. Art can be anything, anywhere, it can even be anyone. You might pass by it on the street and never realize it. So how do you talk about it? How do you understand it? How do you respond to it? One idea is the tabula rasa approach… T.A.B.U.L.A. stands for: Time: just hold on, don't turn your back yet. Stay there for a few minutes before deciding the work is not for you. Association: find an entry point, look for the tone, story, theme or image that strikes a chord with you. Background: the title, personal history of the artist or short description of a piece should enable you to understand and appreciate it better. Understand: by this stage you might have a better understanding of the work and if not... Look again: everyone deserves a second chance. Assessment: this is where you're allowed to be subjective and form your own opinion about a work. |
TABULA RASA approach credits: Ways of Looking: How to Experience Contemporary Art, by Ossian Ward, Head of Content at the Lisson Gallery and former chief art critic at Time Out London