Criticizing Photographs: An Introduction to Understanding Images Book

	Preface	xi
Chapter 1	About Art Criticism	1
	Defining Criticism	2
	Sources of Criticism	4
	Kinds of Criticism	5
	The Backgrounds of Critics	7
	Stances Toward Criticism	8
	Relations Between Critics and Artists	10
	Criticizing Criticism	11
	The Value of Criticism	13
Chapter 2	Describing Photographs	15
	Defining Description	15
	Descriptions of Avedon's "In the American West"	16
	Describing Subject Matter	20
	Describing Form	26
	Describing Medium	28
	Describing Style	31
	Comparing and Contrasting	31
	Internal and External Sources of Information	32
	Description and Interpretation	34
	Description and Evaluation	34
	The Importance of Description to Readers	35
Chapter 3	Interpreting Photographs	36
	Defining Interpretation	37
	The Objects of Interpretations	39
	Interpretive Claims and Arguments	41
	Interpretive Perspectives	42
	Three Interpretations of Eleanor	42
	Other Interpretive Strategies	45
	Combinations of Interpretive Approaches	48
	"Right" Interpretations	48
	Interpretations and the Artist's Intent	50
	Interpretations and Feelings	51
	Interpretation, Meaning, and Personal Significance	52
	The Community of Interpreters	52
Chapter 4	Types of Photographs	53
	Categories of Photographs	54
	New Categories	56
	Descriptive Photographs	58
	Fxplanatory Photographs	61
	Interpretive Photographs	70
	Ethically Evaluative Photographs	76
	Aesthetically Evaluative Photographs	82
	Theoretical Photographs	91
Chapter 5	Photographs and Contexts	96
	Internal Context	96
	Original Context	97
	External Context	99
	External Contexts and Connotations	101
	Interpreting Barbara Kruger's Untitled ("Surveillance"), with Contextual Information	103
	"Surveillance" and Internal Context	105
	"Surveillance" and Original Context	105
	"Surveillance" and External Context	109
	Barbara Kruger's Untitled ("Surveillance"), and the Categories	111
	Descriptive Photographs	112
	Explanatory Photographs	112
	Interpretive Photographs	112
	Ethically Evaluative PHotographs	112
	Aesthetically Evaluative Photographs	113
	Theoretical Photographs	114
	The Interpretive Process: A Summary	114
Chapter 6	Evaluating Photographs	116
	Examples of Judgments	116
	Judgments and Reasons	117
	Judgments and Criteria	119
	Different Criteria	120
	Realism	120
	Expressionism	122
	Formalism	123
	Instrumentalism	124
	Other Criteria	126
	Choosing Among Criteria	126
	Differing Judgments	127
	Judgments Are Arguments	128
	Reappraisals	128
	Judgments and Preferences	128
	Intentionalism and Judgments	129
	The Objects of Judgments	130
	Judgments of Robert Mapplethorpe's Photographs	130
	Hilton Kramer's and Grace Glueck's Views of Mapplethorpe's Work	131
	Other Critics' Views of Mapplethorpe's Work	134
	Conclusion	138
Chapter 7	Theory: Is It Art?	140
	Aesthetic Theory	143
	Theories and Critics	144
	Theories and Photographers	145
	Theories and Historians	146
	Theories and Curators	146
	A Survey of Theoretical Positions	148
	Realism and Conventionalism	149
	Modernism and Postmodernism	155
	Marxist Theory and Criticism	162
	Feminist Theory and Criticism	163
	Conclusion	166
Chapter 8	Writing and Talking About Photographs	168
	Writing About Photographs	168
	Observing the Work and Taking Notes	168
	An Interpretive Paper	169
	An Evaluative Paper	171
	The Process of Writing	175
	Talking About Photographs	177
	Discussions of Art in the Presence of the Artist	178
	Studio Critiques	179
	Notes	183
	Bibliography	195
	Index	205