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Relationship Between:

Theory, Critical

 Analysis &Practice

Figure 1: Discourse. (c Unknown)

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Relationship Between

Theory & Practice

•  Theory –  What is it?

 –  What does it involve?

 –  Why is it important?

•  Practice

 –  What is it?

 –  What does it involve?

 –  Why is it important?

How do the two work together?Figure 2, Theory and Practice (c2012)

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Critical Analysis

•  What is critical

analysis?

•  How do we do it?

•  Why do we do it?

Figure 3 Critical Analysis , 2009.

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How…Is this theme/topic being considered/portrayed? …What indicates this? 

Why …Was this created/dealt with in this way and…What affect does it have? 

How…Does the context (place and timing/period) affect/add to what this is about? 

What if  …

This or that factor were added / removed / altered?

What is the difference between each set of questions?

Why do you think the order of each set of questions is important?

This order is how you would present your critical analysis (of images or quotations/text) in presentations/essays

Who ….Is this by? 

What ...Is featured in the work? ...Is the main theme/topic? …Is this about?

Where & When…

Was this created? (context) 

How ….Was this created?

Why …Is this convincing/successful/unconvincing/unsuccessful? Or significant? 

What …Could be gained/learnt from this? 

Where & How …have these ideas/methods been applied elsewhere 

Critical Analysis of Visual Work

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What …are the implications of what is being said? 

Who ….is the author? 

What ...is being said? 

What….was/is the context of what is being said? (situation in which it arose from)

What…was/is the rationale behind what is being said? (reasons/evidence it is based on)

Why …is this significant/convincing/unconvincing? 

What …could be gained/learnt from this? 

How…

does this idea relate to the point that you are currently discussing/making 

Critical Analysis of Text / Quotations

How…can this be interpreted? (what are the points that are being made?)

Introduce, interpret, analyse, conclude, relate

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When Writing/talking about Your Work Consider:

1.  What is your work about, what is itdoing?

2.  What is the rationale behind your 

work?

3.  How are you exploring particular 

themes/topics?

•  Conceptually, symbolically

•  Techniques, format/materials,

methodology in making the work

4.  If it is a series what is the purpose of 

each?

5.  How is your work communicated /

presented and why?

6.  What are you hoping the viewer will

gain/receive/experience?Figure 4 Self-Portrait? (year unknown)

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Task 1

•  What is represented and communicated in the photograph (what do you see in the image and what does it mean)? 

•  How has the photographer chosen to portray his story? 

•  What are the visual elements of the image (composition, objects/subjects within the pictorial 

frame? 

•  What are the photographer’s visual choices in the image (focus, distance, lighting, camera

 position etc)? 

•  What might be the social or cultural background of this image or is the image even political? 

•  How do you feel or react to this image when you see it? 

•  What is the story/meaning of the photograph? 

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Order of Answers

1.  What are the visual elements of the image (composition, objects/subjects within the pictorial frame?

2.  How do you feel or react to this image when you see it? 

3.  What are the photographer’s visual choices in the image (focus, distance, lighting, camera position

etc)?

4.  What is the story/meaning of the photograph?

5.  How has the photographer chosen to portray his story?

6. 

What is represented and communicated in the photograph (what do you see in the image and what does it mean)?

7.  What might be the social or cultural background of this image or is the image even political? 

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Illustration List 

Figure 1: Photographer unknown. (date unknown). Discourse. [photograph]. Foundat:

http://openreflections.wordpress.com/2012/08/04/why-experiment-a-critical-

analysis-of-the-values-behind-digital-scholarly-publishing/ (Accessed : 3.09.12)

Figure 2: Beyga, A. (c2012) Theory and Practice. [photograph of the Shard,

London]. Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anthonybeyga/6893932206/ (Accessed : 3.09.12)

Figure 3: Photographer unknown (c2009) Critical Analysis [photograph] Found at:

http://artandsustainability.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/hard-realities-and-new-materiality-symposium/ (Accessed: 3.09.12)

Figure 4: Johansson, Erik. (c2009) Self-portrait? [photographic manipulation].Found at:

http://somethinwonderful.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/mind-boggling-photo-manipulations-by.html (Accessed: 3.09.12)