art short paper
600-800 essay. MLA format
Part 1 -Selecting and Presenting Work #1
Select Work #1 You will be selecting a work from either the text Gateways (any image of a two dimensional work) or from any of the artists you met through the video “Art and Design: Insights into the Visual Arts” (found in the Films on Demand collection.) Pick a work that really interested you or that you found yourself reacting strongly to. State name of the artist, the medium, and the title. If it is a picture from the text, include the page number where it can be found.
For Example: From Gateways, Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother, black and white photograph (page 127) (This example is just a summary version for you to understand the concept.)
Insert (don't attach) a jpg of the work you selected (you can find one in Google Images or Yahoo Images) make sure the image is not too small so that it does not pixelate when posted. The way to insert an image is to save it to your computer and then to use the Insert Image prompt when writing your Discussion. Please DO NOT attach documents nor links. If you are unsure on how to upload an image then call the D2L HelpDesk (number listed in the Welcome Module.) Posts without inserted images will carry a point deduction.
Include: Research any information about the artist, about the reason/inspiration for the work (some works were created originally as a commission, or for a special event: an exhibit, a publication, a church opening, etc.), how the work was made (including materials and technique), where the work is today. This is a rich research area.
Part 2 - Describing Work #1 (Aesthetic Criticism)
Describe Work #1’s a) content , b) subject matter, c) mood, and d) composition.
For example: a) content –an image of a migrant mother and her two sons, etc (go into more detail, describe what you see as if you were sharing detailed information with a person on the phone), b) subject matter - migrant mother and children/child/survival/political , c) mood- stark, sad, anxious . (This example is just a summary version for you to understand the concept.)
c) When describing the mood you can use words that describe how the work feels to you –what emotions it evokes. You can insert as many emotional descriptors as it inspires you. You can also share why or what in your personal history is evoking those feelings
d) Look at the work you have selected paying attention to each of the Elements of Design that you see being used in the work. Which is the main element (Line? Light? Contrast? Color? Space?), which are secondary elements? How is the main element emphasized? What is the supporting role of the secondary elements? In what way are they used, and how does their manipulation affect the mood of the piece? What are the Principles of Design evidently at work in this composition? In writing about the Elements please access and use the Formal Analysis Guidelines and the Art Criticism guidelines by Professor Barret linked in your Lecture 3.
Part 3 -Selecting and Presenting Work #2
Go to the Google Art Project and do a search for a second work THAT SHARES THE SAME SUBJECT MATTER/CONTENT. This search will give you access to a number of collections and works, and you will have a chance to see many interpretations of a similar subject matter. Choose a work that surprises you in its interpretation and how differently the same subject matter can be represented or "seen". You can also use any other Image search database, the key is that the image you find is large enough to insert in the Discussion clearly (without any pixelation.) Attention: If the second work you pick is not selected under the requested premise, then none of the material you present about it will count toward your Discussion.
Select your Work #2 –pick the work and share name of the artist, the medium, and the title
For example: the search mother and child returned with the choice of several collections, from one of them I find: Janis RozentÄ ls, oil painting painting, Under the Rowan Tree
As before, insert (don't attach) a jpg of the work you selected (you can find one in Google Images or Yahoo Images) make sure the image is not too small so that it does not pixelate when posted. The way to insert an image is to save it to your computer and then to use the Insert Image prompt when writing your Discussion. Please DO NOT attach documents nor links. If you are unsure on how to upload an image then call the D2L HelpDesk (number listed in the Welcome Module.) Posts without inserted images will carry a point deduction.
Include: Research any information about the artist, about the reason for the work (some works were created originally as a commission, or for a special event: an exhibit, a publication, a church opening), how the work was made (including materials and technique), where the work is today. This is a good research area.
Part 4 - Describing Work #2 (Aesthetic Criticism)
Describe Work #2’s a) content (description) , b) subject matter, c) mood, and d) composition (in the same way you described Work #1.) When describing the mood you can use words that describe how the work feels to you –what emotions it evokes.
Part 5 - Compare and Contrast of the two works
Observing both images, compare and contrast both works. Even tho they have a similar subject matter, their feeling is different. When describing the use of the Element of Design please use the appropriate vocabulary -refer back to the Chapter on the Elements and the Principles of Design.
In writing about the Elements and Principles of Design that emphasize the different approaches please access and use the Formal Analysis Guidelines and the Art Criticism guidelines by Professor Barret linked in your Lecture 2.
Example: In the case of the two images I was using for the example I would say that Value/Light/Contrast and the lack of Color is the main element in Work #1, adding to the sense of a stark sober moment in time. The contrast used adds to the drama of the moment. In Work #2, the scene is lighter in mood. The artist uses Color as one of the main Elements adding a jovial life to it. A Complementary Harmony adds to a feeling of Spring and vibrancy. The reds and more intense colors are placed around the head of the mother and child, thus attracting our attention straight to them and their relationship. Etc. Please include at least a couple of paragraphs of your evaluation. (Again, this example is just a summary version for you to understand the concept.)
