Week 15 Blog

I really enjoyed our Unit Three Assignment, especially visiting Ackland and having the freedom to choose a piece of artwork to write about. I have always found art interesting, and inviting, so I was pleased to read our Unit Three assignment sequence. While English 12’s curriculum is intended to help students improve writing skills, I think writing about art not only helped our class learn to write better, but caused us to search within ourselves, forcing us to open our minds and explore our imagination and intellect. Overall I really enjoyed our class, and felt each Unit was engaging. Thanks for teaching me, and I will see you around.

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Draft Workshop April 22nd weekend

1. While I think that many of you have made a great deal of progress with your thesis statements, one habit I see a lot of people falling into is simply juxtaposing a couple of formal aspects of the piece (i.e. color, shape, line, etc.) with some sort of broad comment about the piece (it's nostalgic, chaotic, etc.) and joining them with a generic verb like "uses" or "does" rather than really making an argument about how the formal aspects of the work contribute to these interpretations of the piece. Give the author's thesis statement another go-round. Does s/he fall into this pattern? If so, how can s/he push the thesis statement to be clearer about what the formal aspects of the piece are actually doing?
2. By now you probably should have added research to your papers. Does the author have the appropriate amount of research? Is the research substantial (i.e. from academic sources) and is it used substantially in the paper (i.e. not just dropped in)? If not, how might the author improve his or her use of research to better meet the demands of the assignment?
3. Does each paragraph contain a strong topic sentence and stick to that topic sentence without wandering for the entire paragraph? If not, suggest ways in which the author might improve the organization of his or her paper into paragraphs (note: throughout the semester paragraphing has consistently been the dividing line between successful and unsuccessful papers in this class!).
4. In our model draft workshops the distinction between description and analysis keeps coming up. Assess whether the author has struck the appropriate balance of description and analysis, noting specific examples.

Week 14 Question 2

It is more likely neuroscience will be used in the study of Art History in the future, because there has been a lot more interest in the brain, and its relation to people's action in the past decade. Take Jackson Pollock for instance. His painting style is wild, and his canvas is filled with unexplainable beauty. It appears a small child could create an image similar to Pollock's, but with further understanding of Pollock, and his impressionistic style it is obvious that a re-creation of any of his work is inconceivable. A psychologist/scientist would take great interest in Pollock, and his free-flowing abstract style.
The science of psychology is being studied and respected more today than it ever has. As scientist make new discoveries about the human brain, I believe a lot of art historians will attempt to use psychology as a way of explaining, and investigate the minds abstract expressionalist painters, and try and learn about their unconscious motivations, and emotions that are reflected in their works. Personally, I believe art history is a study that should not involve science. I enjoy paintings, and the critique of art because there is no formula, there is no right way of going about the investigation of an artist's work. I do not support the use of neuroscience in the art history world, but would not be surprised if in the near future, more scientists are found browsing the art galleries, in hopes of deciphering the thoughts of each artist who created the different works hanging from the museum walls.

Week 14 Question 1

Camille Pissarro's, The Banks of the Oise, near Pontoise, is the piece of art I would choose to write about if forced to choose another work from Ackland. This impressionist work depicts a pleasurable scene, as the observer is placed along the bank of a river that reminds me of an inlet close to sea. The grasses wisp with an apparent wind, and a line of houses, much like those found at beaches can be seen in the distant background. A group of larger boats appear to be floating lazily down the river, while a couple of fisherman spend their day in the warm sun. This picture speaks to me because it reminds me of the family beach trips my family takes every year, and the inlet waterway where I, and my Uncle Dee, spend the majority of the evening fishing and talking. This peaceful scene pulls me in, inviting me to visit memories from my years as a child at the ocean. Like Monet, Pissarro captures a beautiful scene where from a distance, though far from realistic, the painting is abstractly picturesque. I find this piece beautiful because of its dreamlike fuzziness. Like a dream, the painting has no defining lines or distinct shape, but still acts as a whole picture. Though I enjoy, and respect a number of painters, I believe Monet is one my overall favorite: Pissarro's style is very similar to Monet, and I believe this to be the deciding factor in why I settled on his painting as my second choice for Unit Three.

Feeder 3.2 Draft 2 Workshop

1. Is my arguement clear? I know I have made a point but do I need to go deeper in my discussion of these ideas?

2. What portion of my paper is lacking most; the opening paragraph, body, or conclusion?

3. I have chosen color and medium as the formal aspects for my paper. Should I concentrate on one or the other, or do you think it is better to speak of both?

Blogger Week of April 15th #2

2. I have been looking forward to Unit Three for a long time. I have become very interested in the visual arts over the past few months, sparked by my visit to MOMA over break; I even plan on minoring in Art History. I think what has helped me most, in learning how to analyze a painting rather than describe it, is my Art 32 Class that is titled The Visual Experience of Cinema. When I first enrolled in this Art class I thought it would be an easy A, where I would just critique films. However, now that I have taken a couple tests, and written two papers analyzing the visual aspects of different cinematographers films I have a better appreciation for the visual arts, as well as college movie classes. Almost every day before we view movie clips, my teacher likes to project different abstract paintings on the movie screen and, basically, analyze the formal aspects of the art. I feel as though I have been practicing for Unit Three this entire semester, so now that the time has finally come, I feel comfortable, and excited about writing our Unit papers. I believe art, and the critique of art, can help people discover not just what the artist is trying to get across through his or her work, but can open one's mind, helping them find inner peace through a work of art.

Blogger Week of April 15th

1. I enjoy the springtime more than any other time of the year. From spring break, to the nearing end of school, and the beautiful budding trees and flowers, as well as the Final Four, no other time of the year is more positive then spring. The landscaping around the University makes Chapel Hill a great place to spend the spring months. Today as I walked beside the old-well, below pink and white dogwoods, I felt lucky being able to attend school at a beautiful University. Though I have always dreamed of one day living in the tropics, or on an island that is warm year around I know I would miss the change of seasons I have grown accustomed to here in North Carolina.
I also believe my mood, and overall temperment is greatly affected by the weather. During the winter months I can get down about life, and at times almost depressed. Now that the weather has shifted from the cold to "true" spring weather I find myself more upbeat, and my days more enjoyable for no concrete reason other than the weather. As I look forward to swimming and the warm summer sun, I know I will miss the temporary beauty that arrives every year during the spring.

April 11th Draft Workshop

1. Has the author concentrated his or her analysis on just one formal aspect of the piece? What is this aspect? Why has the author chosen this aspect of the piece rather than any other? Would any other have worked just as well?
2. What is the author's thesis statement? If there isn't one, then what kind of argument is the author trying to make about the piece? If there isn't a thesis or an argument, then do you see an argument the author is making implicitly?
3. Has the author completed the assignments requirement of "exploring in detail how this aspect of the piece contributes to its overall message or aesthetic?" What is the piece's overall message or aesthetic as you believe the author understands it? Could the author's idea be pushed any further to be more specific, detailed or original?
4. Cite at least one place in the paper where you would like to see more explanation or detail. Explain why you chose the passage you chose.

Draft Workshop March 30th

1. Even if the paper is not currently too shot, imagine that it does not reach the assignment's length requirement. Identify idea or section of the paper that you think should be expanded and give the author a hint of how you believe s/he should accomplish that expansion.
2. Does the author support his or her analysis of the artist's thought process with concrete details? If not, explain where the author could add these details. If so, pull out one or two details that you think were particularly effective.
3. One of the most difficult things to master in writing about the humanities is the difference between description and analysis. Is the tone of the author's paper more descriptive or analytical? If one or the other, how might the author fix this? You might also want to include a few words about how you envisioned the tone of the paper given the assignment.
4. Does the paper fulfill the demands of the assignment? Why or why not?

Draft Workshop April 4th

1. We talked on Wednesday a great deal about the difference between description and analysis. Identify at least two or three parts of the author's paper that you believe could be pushed toward more of an analytical tone. Be harsh! If you let entire sections of your partner's paper that are merely descriptive slide by you'll be doing him or her a real disservice.
2. How is the author's analysis organized? Does s/he move you from the left side of the painting to the right? From the foreground to the background? Chronologically through the creation of the piece? If you can't identify a coherent scheme suggest one for the author given the information that seems most important to his or her thesis.
3. How is the paper framed? Do the introduction and conclusion work together? Are the intro and conclusion generic or inventive? Suggest ways the author could improve the framing of his or her paper.

Unit Two Reflection

Unit two was a much tougher subject for me to write about and I feel relieved now knowing I have completed my assignments. I enjoyed Unit One because it dealt with the brain, and how humans function. Unit Three, so far, is very interesting allowing a lot of freedom, and free thinking. Unit Two did not interest me in the same way the other Units have. While I learned a great deal about how I respond to a poor nights rest, it was a struggle for me to write about the topic as I felt like a reporter; I enjoy philosophical writing much more. In the next month, as the end of my first year of college comes to a close I plan on finishing out my year as best I can, giving my work priority to any other activity, knowing summer is just weeks away. Of all my classes I am most comfortable with English, knowing when I have things due because of the course website. I think it will be important for me to complete my papers in a timely manner, being I have research papers due in two other classes coming up this month. I look forward to our visit to the art museum, and further investigation into the unconscious.