Meridian: Writing Warhol with Jennie Taylor in association with Hugh Lane Gallery

Course Summary

Led by art writer and critic, Jennie Taylor, this course will focus on writing art criticism in response to the extraordinary exhibition Andy Warhol Three Times Out. Taking place in person in the neighbouring buildings of the Irish Writers Centre and Hugh Lane Gallery, Parnell Square Nth, this cross-arts collaboration will enable you to view and write about visual art with new eyes.

Course participants will learn how to situate the work of Andy Warhol through a range of lenses including consumer capitalism, contemporary social media and art historical contexts. This course will provide practical techniques for writing a review of the exhibition.  Participants will have the opportunity to produce one finished piece of writing between 800 – 1,200 words at the end of the course and take part in short writing exercises.

This course is part of the Irish Writers Centre’s Meridian series of creative and professional development activities for professional writers, and also for those emerging writers who are ready to take the steps towards making a career in writing. Read more about this initiative here

Course Outline

Week One

Saturday 4 November 

10.15am – 11.00am: Tour of Andy Warhol Three Times Out

11.00am – 1.00pm: Situating Warhol

This session will provide an overview of ways to thematically situate Andy Warhol’s work in the contemporary world. We will consider Warhol in relation to commodification of self, consumer capitalism and art history.

Location: Hugh Lane Gallery (later the Irish Writers Centre)

Week Two

Saturday 11 November 

11.00am – 1.00pm: Introduction to art criticism

This session will briefly introduce contemporary art criticism followed by discursive and writing exercises with a focus on the formal and aesthetic properties of the exhibition.

Location: Hugh Lane Gallery

Week Three

Saturday 18 November 

11.00am – 1.00pm: Critique

To explore ways to articulate analysis of artworks, this session will focus on practical methods including style guides, terminology and structure.

Location: Hugh Lane Gallery

Week Four

Saturday 25 November 

11.00am – 1.00pm: Situate

Drawing from what we cover in week one, this session will address ways to apply different lenses and contexts to the exhibition Andy Warhol Three Times Out through discursive and writing exercises.

Location: Hugh Lane Gallery

Week Five

Saturday 2 December 

11.00am – 1.00pm: Formulate

Participants will learn ways to introduce their opinions of the exhibition within the format of art criticism.

Location: Irish Writers Centre

Week Six

Saturday 9 December  

11.00 – 1.00pm: Participants will share their final piece of writing in a discursive setting.

Course participants will be expected to produce and share one finished piece of writing between 800 – 1,200 words at the end of the course.

Location: Irish Writers Centre

Course Outcomes

Participants will learn key approaches and usable guidelines for writing and critiquing visual art exhibitions. They will have produced a finished piece of writing which will sit under the category of art criticism.  Throughout the course, they will learn more about the work of Andy Warhol, a brief history of art criticism and examples of art historical and contemporary contexts which can be useful when situating art criticism within wider discourses. The overall aim of the course is to gain confidence in writing short critiques and reviews of contemporary visual art.  Participants will also learn how to incorporate their own voice and literary style within their approach to critiquing art.

Jennie Taylor is an art writer and educator. She has published her work in Critical Bastards Magazine, The Stinging Fly, Paper Visual Art and Visual Arts Newsletter. Jennie is currently a PhD researcher in Art Writing at the National College of Art & Design and Writer in Residence at the Roscommon Arts Centre.