Art Criticism - The State University of New York

thesis of such descriptions into an interpretation; and (3) modifying an interpretation
through historical contexualization. We start by practicing basic
description according to the general contours of Schapiro's essay. Fairly
quickly the students get a sense that three moments of the investigation are
not so neatly divisible but are conjoined in the hermeneutic circle of understanding;
that }Vhat seems like a simple description is not neutral and unbiased;
but presupposes an interpretive direction as well as unexamined assumptions
about the work's context.
After two or three sessions, when the class has developed rudimentary
proficiency at description, I have the students section off into small groups.
The task of each group is to come up with interpretations ofthe artwork under
study. I leave the room during the discussions, which are very lively. After 20
to 30 minutes I return and sit off to the side and do my best to "hide." The
groups then present their findings to each other by sending a representative
up in front of the class and next to the projected slide. The students listen to
each other, taking notes on what the other groups have come up with. After
each representative has gone there opens a general discussion amongst the
students so -to evaluate the various descriptions and interpretations. I continue
to remain off to the side, staying as silent and neutral as possible, interjecting
only when discussion gets completely stuck, usually by asking a question.
When the student exchanges exhaust, I am left with a number of options:
using the student's own language to summarize the results of the discussion
(without smoothing over divergences in viewpoints); adding information that
supplements or complements what has already been said; raising additional
issues based upon what directions the students have been going; pointing
out relative strengths and weaknesses in approaches; or saying nothing at all
(and thereby divesting my authority). A variant of this procedure is to have
students prepare their interpretations as a homework assignment; this allows
the class to leap more rapidly into discussion.
Fewer artworks are shown during class meetings than with the standard
lecture format; but students achieve a far greater depth and complexity of
understanding. Moreover, students are held responsible for all works reproduced
in the art-history textbook; during exams they are expected to apply
their skills and knowledge to artworks not discussed in class. Paper assignments
further exercise skills in description and interpretation.
After a number of successive class sessions of students doing most
of the interpretive work, their sense of community grows, but what happens
from time to time is that they lapse into older, less rigorous habits of thought.
Feelings of empowerment and solidarity tend to displace the rigors of thought
and analysis. It becomes necessary on such occasions for the instructor to
interject more strongly than usual, reminding the students about the tasks of
description and interpretation, which has the inevitable consequence of re-
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Art Criticism