(Actual Answer From Test)
A. The Skills of Art Professionals
I researched to find descriptions of the skills of various art professionals.
Artist: An artist needs to have creative skills and crafting skills. Creative skills include visual thinking and good imagination. Crafting skills include the ability to produce artwork through a medium or through several media. Other skills include keen observation and the ability to interpret those observations in different ways.
Art historian: Art historians need analytical skills to study and understand the themes and symbols of art across different cultures and times. They need communication skills to express their ideas clearly to audiences. They may also require consulting skills if they are called upon to advise on issues related to the historic provenance or authenticity of works of art.
Art critic: Art critics need analytical skills to find, articulate, describe, and interpret the meanings of what is depicted in the work of artists. They should be able to assess the properties of works of art, and make judgments about the work's social and cultural values. They need communication (especially writing and speaking) skills to express their ideas clearly to audiences.
Art Collector: Art collectors buy art either for their personal satisfaction or as financial investments. Like art historians and art critics, they need analytical skills to study and understand the themes and symbols of art. However, if their goal is to collect art as a financial investment, they also need the business skills to conduct research and study market trends related to the value of works of art. They also need organizing skills to acquire works to form meaningful collections.
Art gallery owner: Art gallery owners need management (especially organizing and marketing) skills. They need to organize and maintain the assets of art galleries. They are tasked with improving the commercial and artistic impact of an art gallery on society and on art collectors. Hence, they need marketing skills to boost sales, and to promote gallery collections as well as artists.
Philosopher of art (aesthetician): The philosophy of art or aesthetics is the study of beauty and taste. Hence, philosophers of art need to have broad analytical skills to probe and question the nature of art. They also need communication (writing and speaking) skills to articulate and convey ideas related to artistic beauty or taste to audiences.
Regardless of the arts-related profession, these professionals all follow the four steps of art criticism: description, analysis, interpretation, and judgment. The key distinction to note between these professions is that some are more driven by scholarship, while others seek profitability. For example (although it is not always the case), an artist or a gallery owner may look at a work of art simply for its potential profits, whereas art critics or art historians are typically more focused on the artistic significance of the work.
B. Critique of a Graphic Artist’s Work
The artist I have chosen is Jason Seiler and I will be evaluating his portrait of Pope Francis, which was featured as the cover of Time magazine in 2013.
Picture of Pope Francis (2013)
Description: Seiler's portrait is a three-quarter view of a male figure, presumably Pope Francis. The subject is wearing the religious garb of office with a prominent crucifix hanging from a chain around his neck. He is set against a neutral backdrop and appears to be in motion, as if he is about to take a step.
Analysis: Seiler's composition allows the male figure to be dominant. He uses a faint, simplistic backdrop that accentuates the crisp whiteness of the subject’s cassock. The prominent silver crucifix on a pure white backdrop is a point of emphasis. Along with the slim chain, it draws the viewer’s eye up to the subject’s face. It also subtly accentuates the Pope’s stature as the head of the Catholic Church.
Interpretation: The neutral background also contributes to the overall warmth of the composition. It is echoed in the gentle expression of the figure. The mood conveyed is one of friendliness and vibrancy. It is conveyed in the subject’s facial expression and posture. It is in strong contrast to the tradition of papal portraiture in earlier times. Artists have often tried to use images of papal figures to reinforce the authority of the papacy. However, there have been historic exceptions.
