The Arts

Subjectivity & Objectivity

Sean Coleman

2026-04-10

Goals

  • Understand what is and is not subjective in the Arts

Assessment Connection

  • Are these words in your prompt for the Essay or Exhibition?
  • Objective
  • Subjective

Drawings

  • Place so that your name/the title is not visible, somewhere on desks
  • Arrange your stuff so we can move around the room unimpeded
  • Take mental note of similarities and differences among the works you see

Vote and return to seats

  • Use one sticky note

Discussion:

  • What are the similarities between the pieces of art that were chosen more often as favourites?

  • (What do they present? How do they use the colour and space? What reactions do they evoke?)

  • Why did you choose this set of pictures and not the others? Based on the similarities of the chosen pictures - can we decide on the criteria of what we consider appealing to us?

Artist Explanations

  • What did you mean to portray?
  • How did you make the decisions when it comes to the content of the artwork and its style?

Discussion:

What does it say about subjectivity/objectivity of artistic value of an artwork?

Reading & Writing

Read https://thinkib.net/tok/page/56680/subjectivity-and-objectivity-in-the-arts

Answer:

  • Which aspects of art are subjective?
  • Which aspects of art are objective?
  • Can we decide on a common criteria for what is good art or a masterpiece?