What is formal analysis? In your own words explain what we mean when we say formal analysis and what its components are

Formal analysis is a tool used to understand what the artist conveying. It uses the elements of color, line, space and mass, and scale. However, formal analysis is not independent of context analysis which takes into account the subjects of the picture to better understand and grasp the purpose of the image and the message its conveying. Often times it is possible to place together the physical elements of a picture with the contextual elements to piece together a story about the art work observed. Whether it is a two dimensional art or a three-dimensional sculpture, the art’s elements can carry the observer to a deeper understanding of the image. Formal analysis starts with observation, keenly taking notes of the elements in the picture.  The key is to ask leading questions about the color, the style, the perspective, etc. and also why. Though the fundamental aspects of formal analysis remains the same, the perspective changes with different types of art. The way that the observer understands a two dimensional art work is not the same way they would try to understand architecture. Moreover, formal analysis become coherent after the contextual analysis is taken into consideration. The art speaks when the observer considers the political, social, and cultural portrayal of the art work. Art is open to interpretation because it is highly subjective and abstract, formal analysis gives a standard way to assess art so that the message in the work can be captured.

Formal analysis is not only describing the art but also showing and understanding what the artist is trying to convey, visually. Everybody has different ways of looking at things so our own interpretation of art will have a play in what we think it means. When focusing on formal analysis, there are some characteristics we use: color, line, space and mass, scale. We also look at the composition of the art. Composition means how the artist combines all these factors in their work of art.

We can also use subject matter to describe what is happening in the work of art. The subject matter shows us what the artist is trying to tell the audience and what message they want to send. Another component is the historical context. Historical context is the historical background of an artwork. It relates to the things that happen during the time the art was made. It serves to give us a better understanding of the art and show why the artist decided to make this artwork.

What is formal analysis? In your own words explain what we mean when we say formal analysis and what its components are.

Formal analysis is a way of observing the visual aspects of an art work.  What this basically means is looking at a piece of art and interpreting what the artist is conveying to the viewers through the way it was physically created.  When preforming formal analysis of art, we are looking for three main components.  These three components are, characteristics, subject matter, and the historical context of the art piece.  Some characteristics used when interpreting art are, but not limited too, color, line, scale, space, and mass.  We use these characteristics in order to take apart and dig into the physical picture of the art.  The next component, subject matter, is analyzed as a way to describe the story of the scene going on in the art work.  We look to the subject matter as yet another way of understanding the message that the artist wants to convey to the viewers, or how the scene present creates a message.  As for historical context, this component requires some research to be done around the art piece, which looks into the time period and all the things going on during the time, the history of the artist themselves, etc.  This is done to gain a better understanding for, and see the possible influences that went into creating the art work.

When looking at works of art it can be easy to focus on the subject’s iconography rather than its form; however, in a compelling work of art, it’s important to analyze elements such as; scale, color, line, light, composition, and texture, together these elements establish a set of criteria for evaluation, known as formal analysis. Using this form of visual description allows the viewer to ask questions about the artists’ decisions in their piece. Why did they arrange the subjects the way they did? How do the colors interact with one another? Why does the light illuminate this specific subject and not the others? Did they mean to use a pattern of angles throughout the piece? Of course, no interpretation is correct as to what the artist wants us to get from the artwork, but, important to take a second and think critically about every aspect of the piece to fully appreciate it. By using formal analysis, we have the opportunity to look closely at the artwork and try to understand the meaning behind every stroke. In a sense, the purest formal analysis is limited to what the viewer sees and how the eye is led through an artwork to create an engaging visual experience.

When we say a formal analysis we mean a break down of what is really going on in the image being shown and maybe why the piece was made. What is the artist trying to convey? What story is trying to tell? Why did the artist make the decisions he or she made? The components that help us answer these questions are inside and outside of the artwork. Composition and lines are big components to helping us understand the message behind a piece of art. Where things are placed and the lines help draw our eye to what’s most important. It can also help with story telling because it helps us move from one part of the piece to another hopefully in a smooth manner. Color and light also play a big role. Colors can make us feel. If an artist uses a cooler palette we may feel cold or feel there might be some sort of hostility while using a warmer palette might bring out warmer and cozier feelings. Light can show us what the artist wants us to see and shows us what is important. The lack of light, shadows can also show us what the author might want us to think about. Why is this part in the light but why is this other part hidden in the shadows? Also the time and place the art piece was made can tell you a lot about the authors reasoning for why they decided to make their art. Maybe there was a war in their country or some sort of political dispute that spurred them on to make the artwork with a message behind it.

Formal analysis is the act of examining closely the aspects of a work of art for its message. When we say formal analysis, we mean look at the aspects of the artwork, analyze where the emphasis is, and deduce what we are supposed to learn based on historical context, subject matter, and the properties of the artwork. The components of formal analysis are the physical elements of the artwork, the subject matter, and the historical context. Examples of physical elements we analyze are line, color, composition, illusion of space, and scale. By analyzing these, we can determine what the artist wants us to focus on. If we can determine the focus, we can determine the subject matter more easily. The historical context helps with subject matter too for it gives us a background for what the artist could be thinking about when (s)he decided to make this piece of art. Once we have determined the subject matter, we can get to the message or stance point behind the artwork, which is the goal of formal analysis.