Close reading has become an increasingly popular buzz word in the world of education since it appeared in the Common Core Standards in 2010. When educators think of the term “close read,” they often thinking of reading written text. However, students can learn how to close read a work of art, a piece of music or a dance performer using the same techniques they’ve learned to close read a written story.
In this blog post, I will share a strategy to close read a work of art using a take on the Feldman Model of Art Criticism. The post includes:
- Information on the importance of learning to close read and critique an artwork
- Steps and examples on how to close read a work of art
- A free printable close read a work of art poster
- A free printable close read a work of art student worksheet
What does it mean to close read a work of art?
In the article “What Close Reading Actually Means,” Grant Wiggins, Ed.D explains, “What “close reading” really means in practice is disciplined re-reading of inherently complex and worthy texts.” For example, a student may reread a written work 3 different times peeling away more and more layers with each read. While artwork is not necessarily a written text, it is a visual output of information that can be close read in a similar manner. Just like a written text, art viewers can peel away layers and re-analyze an image to determine its meaning.
To close read an artwork is to deeply analyze an artwork beyond a first impression. The model used to close read an art work is the Feldman Model which was created by Edmund Feldman, Professor of Art at the University of Georgia and presented in his text, Becoming Human Through Art. This model uses an approach of describing, analyzing, interpreting, and judging and artwork to deeply understand the work of art.
The need for students to practice close reading
A study published in the article, Teaching For Art Criticism: Incorporating Feldman’s Critical Analysis Learning Model In Students’ Studio Practice, observed how college students perform in their ability to critique an artwork. The study found that the students performed well on 2/4 Feldman steps: describing and analyzing artworks. However, “the other areas of interpretation and judgment were not as well developed.” Students could describe the work but unless prompted they were uncomfortable to give their personal opinion and interpretation of the work.
This study shows that there is a need for practicing this skill in the art room and building confidence with students to interpret and judge artwork. As art teachers, we can help to facilitate this growth and embolden students to look deeper and verbalize their opinions. By teaching our students to dissect the layers of an artwork, we are teaching them to have a critical eye and develop articulated opinions about the world around them.
By teaching our students to dissect the layers of an artwork, we are teaching them to have a critical eye and develop articulated opinions about the world around them.
How to Close Read an Artwork:
The FREE poster below arranges the Feldman Method into a language that is familiar for students who are working on close reading within their schools. Additionally, there is a FREE student worksheet to accompany the poster. Teachers can simply select an artwork for students to critique.
If you download this free resource, please follow me on Facebook to keep up with the latest from Make a Mark Studios. Thanks in advance!
Step 1- Get the gist
In this first step, students will DESCRIBE the work of art. Leaving out any personal opinion, students will state the facts only. The description may include the artwork title, artist name, medium, year of creation, etc. Students may describe the overall subject in an OBJECTIVE manner.
Step 2- Dig a little deeper
The next step asks students to dig a little deeper by ANALYZING the work of art. Students are able to complete this tasks very effectively if they have a good foundational understanding of the elements and principles of design. Some guiding questions to help students to analyze work include:
- How did the artist use specific elements and principles of design? For example, what is the focal point?
- What is the mood fo the artwork?
- How is the work constructed, planned, and/or composed?
- What other facts can we state about the artwork?
Step 3- Be Independent! Synthesize!
The final steps requires students to be more SUBJECTIVE about their critique of the artwork. In this step, students will INTERPRET and JUDGE the artwork. As noted in the study about, this is the step that students often need the most prompting and guidance with.
Some helpful guiding questions to help students INTERPRET the work include:
- What do you think the message of the artwork is?
- How does the artwork make you feel?
- How does this work connect to you personally?
- Does the work remind you of other things you’ve experienced?
Furthermore, here are some guiding questions to help students JUDGE the work:
- Why do you like/dislike the work?
- Name the strengths/weaknesses of the work.
- Do you think the artist was successful?
- Do you think the work is valuable?
Thank you for reading! I would love to hear your feedback. If you implement this into your classroom, I would love to hear about how your students’ exploration in close reading an artwork. Feel free to comment below.
-Stephanie Villiotis
Works Cited:
Feldman, E. B. (1970). Becoming human through art: Aesthetic experience in the school. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Wiggins, Grant. What Close Reading Actually means. Authentic Education. 2013.
Maithreyi Subramaniam[1], Jaffri Hanafi[2], Abu Talib Putih[3]. Teaching For Art Criticism: Incorporating Feldman’s Critical Analysis Learning Model In Students’ Studio Practice. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology. Volume 4, Issue 1.