Art Review

Journalism 1

Arts Review

November 3, 2014

Each time we talk with each other about a favorite book, movie, or album, we are creating a kind of arts review. We discuss whether something is good or bad; if it’s worth paying money for going out of our way for; sometimes we talk about a deeper societal meaning in the art we write about. 20th century journalism marked a high point of arts reviewers as experts in their fields who share insight and information about the art they write about. Because we common people generally read or watched only a few media outlets a day, arts reviewers played a self-consciously important role in acting as a link between art and the consumer. Today, there is an explosion of such reviews on the Internet. Still, we look for informed opinion when we want to explore art, and even though daily papers and their critics don’t play the same role they once did, the critics found at sites like Rottentomatoes.com are interesting and helpful.

For this assignment, you will choose a particular work of art - such as recorded music, live music, books, film, a poetry reading, theater, a dance performance, a gallery exhibit - and write a review. Your job is to dissect the art your are writing about and the provide your readers with enough information so that they can make sense of what you are saying. If you review a movie, think about the quality of the acting, the directing, the script, the cinematography, or the CGI tricks. If you review a rock band, think about the quality of the musicians, the strength of the songwriting, the magnetism of the performers.

To find models, go to respected media outlets like the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, the Village Voice, Rottentomatoes,com, Pitchfork.com, and others. Model your reviews using the structure you find there. You need a good hook in the first paragraph. In the second, you must make sure your reader understands what you’re writing about and what your expectations were of the art. You will see that many if not most reviews you read will begin with a good hook, which could be an anecdote or sarcastic observation or could be a nod to an artists past work, or could be, well, that's for you to create. 

Your review should be between 400 and 500 words long. It is due on November 12.