Locate an art review (could be of a recent film, an art exhibit, a music concert, etc.). Your review can be from anywhere and of anything (you deem) artistic. Ask yourself some of the following questions and be prepared to discuss in class.
- Who is the intended audience? How can you tell?
- What is the overall tone/style of the reviewer? How effective is that tone/style?
- How is the review structured? What does the reviewer discuss first, next, and so on? (Does s/he give a plot summary, quick foundation of the “meaning” of the piece? Discuss the artist? Or just the art? Etc.) How is this effective or not?
- What were some of your favorite creative phrases used to describe the art? Or, in what way is the review lacking creativity?
- What, if any, background information does the reviewer provide (whether of the art, genre, or artist)? How is this helpful or distracting?
- Does the reviewer make any comparisons to other works of art that s/he finds similar? How is this effective?
- Do you get a sense of whether the reviewer really likes or dislikes the work? How so?
- What, if anything, would you do differently?
