Observation and analysis of an artwork 1/2

Developed during the Art Through English Seminar 2011-2012, a collaboration between Primary School Teachers,
Berritzegune Gasteiz and Artium Museum of Contemporary Art, Vitoria-Gasteiz.

What? How? Why?

Process Tools Objectives
Observation Take some time to observe the image To learn to look longer at an image.

Describe the image To keep the work open to any ideas and interpretations.
Description
Active Looking Open Questions - “What do you see?” “Where is it?” “How?” To learn to read and interpret an artwork.

Open Questions Point to the image To understand the physical structure of an image.
To discover that images are constructed.
Refer back to the work
Repeat answers To identify the source of the ideas in the work.

Compare ideas “Do you all agree?” “Does anyone see something To validate different points of view and ways of thin-
different?” king.

Analysis Specific Questions - Why? / How? “Why do you think she’s sad?” To facilitate connections between the work and the
Refer back to the work - “What do you see that makes you think spectator / their world.
Interpretation
so?”
To validate different points of view and ways of thin-
Use the conditional - “What could they be talking about?” king.

Compare ideas - “Do you all agree?” “Could we see it in a diffe- To become aware of the artist’s intentions and ideas in
rent way?” relation to his/her work.

Relate the work to the reality and experience of the group. To realise that art is part of life.

Contextualise What is behind the image? Is it art? To understand the historical / social / political
structures behind the artwork / image.
Contextualising questions - “What kind of image do you think it
is?” “Which technique do you think the artist has used?” “Why?” To think about the reasons why we produce images.
“When do you think it was made?” “Why?” “What for?” “Where?”
“Who do you think the artist is?”

Summarise Summarise / repeat what the group has said. To express the main idea of the artwork / the most
important part of the work.
Questions - “What could the titled be?”

Opinion Questions - “What is your opinion about the work / project?” To express personal opinions and to debate ideas in the
“Why?” group.

Always intend to leave the work open. To leave the work open to other possible interpreta-
tions.
 Observation and analysis of an artwork 2/2
Developed during the Art through English Seminar 2011-2012, a collaboration between Primary School Teachers,
Berritzegune Gasteiz and Artium Museum of Contemporary Art, Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Preparation

Themes and objectives

Before working with the artwork / image, take in to account the following questions:
Why are you using this artwork / image?
What for?

Questions and sequences

Prepare the questions you are going to ask the group.
If you are using more than one image, prepare the sequence.

Research
Research the contextual information related to the artwork / image.
Prepare auxiliar material (texts, other images, etc)

Production
Think about how you are going to relate the image to the production (workshop).