HUMANITIES UNIT
When visiting the Ackland Art Museum, choose your favorite work of art, one with which you will not mind working for the rest of this unit. Then, in a 2-3 page paper, analyze this work of art by exploring the ways in which its message is shaped by the medium used to present it. Your discussion should address how the artist conveys meaning through the use of some of the following properties:
- line, shape, color, texture, form
- repeated images
- placement of objects on one side or another. Does the placement appear lopsided or balanced?
- proportion and scale of objects relative to one another or to reality. Do the objects appear distorted? Is one object emphasized over another?
- art media (e.g. sculpture, painting)
- techniques used to make the work, such as brush strokes
When explaining how the artist uses these properties, you might ask, what human feelings are embodied in these formal and visual features? Is one object or part of the work emphasized over another? What techniques create the emphasis? Why does the artist create this emphasis?
Remember that summary information should work to support your analysis and the argument that you make regarding the work. A successful essay will have a clear and concise thesis; as in all persuasive writing, avoid making overly general or vague arguments (i.e. "this artwork uses its materials to convey a message"). A successful essay will also describe the artwork clearly, using this description to support the analysis, and be formal in style, relying mostly on active voice and present tense.
By returning to Ackland, visiting another art gallery, looking through art books, or searching the art museum pages on the Internet, find another work of art that in some way relates to the one used for HU-1. The two works may be by the same artist, on the same theme, about the same subject matter, or from the same period. You do not have to do any research beyond finding the other work of art.
Write a 3-5 page paper comparing these two works of art on the dimensions listed above. Make your thesis as specific as possible. "These works have many similarities and differences" will not cut it. A successful paper will also offer substantial evidence from both paintings to support this thesis. It will be organized logically, and use that organization and transitions to skillfully draw the comparisons. A successful essay will also be rich in detail, vividly evoking these two works for your readers. It will rely more on active than passive voice.
Keep in mind that in comparing your original work with another, you may alter your interpretation of the first work, or you may begin to notice new aspects which may deepen this interpretation. This is fine and may lead to some interesting questions to pursue in your final paper.
This assignment builds upon HU-2 by asking you to write a 5 page essay explaining why these similarities and differences exist.
To answer this question, you will first need to research the periods in which the art was produced, trends in art during those periods, and/or the artist's biography, depending on what sorts or questions you are exploring. You may also want to research another historical question, outside the field of art. This research should then allow you to understand why the artists made the choices they made and also deepen your understanding of the message the artworks convey.
Once again, a successful essay will have a clear and concise thesis, be well organized, and present a persuasive argument. It will also provide ample evidence to support this argument. Since you are writing in the humanities, you should rely mostly on active voice, and you should use MLA style for your citations.