Category: Art

Assignment: Personal Aesthetic discussion
As the course comes to a close, and you’ve learned how to analyze and write about art, it’s time to think about your personal definition of art
Learning Objective of this assignment
Identify your personal definition of art and the work of art that best represents that definition.
Task 1: articulate your aesthetic
What is your aesthetic? Aesthetic is a set of principles underlying and guiding the work of a particular artist or artistic movement or work of art. 
Articulate your personal definition of art, or your aesthetic.  While there is no right or wrong answer here, keep in mind that you need to support your definition and, ideally, relate it to what you’ve learned in this course.  Think back to the Roles of the Artistfrom Chapter 1.  How do any of those roles influence your personal aesthetic?
Task 2: Find an image that represents your aesthetic
Include an image that best represents your “new” aesthetic.  Embed the image and label it with artist, title, media, date and image source.  How has your aesthetic changed since you submitted your “Creative Life” in your Icebreaker assignment? 
Task 3: Write a short paragraph on your “take-aways” from the course.
How has your perception and understanding of Art changed since the beginning of the course?  What are some things in this course of Art Appreciation that stand out to you?  Have you come to appreciate some art that you may not previously have?
RESOURCES:
See a student example of this assignment on the next page.
Grading Rubric opens in new window

History of art and fashion essay for early 20th century Avant-Garde and fashion Discuss early 20th century avant-garde movements and how they are reflected in the work of contemporary fashion designs today with pictures.

Write a minimum two-page analysis of a work of art of your choice.
(I chose the art work by Diego Rivera, Man, Controller of the Universe, or Man in the Time Machine, 1934)
Art appreciation and art analysis are essential aspects of understanding and evaluating works of art. There are various criteria and elements to consider when conducting an art analysis. While each criteria in the list may not all pertain to your selection, a minimum of five of the ten criteria should be included in your analysis. Here are some key criteria to help you appreciate and analyze art:
1. FORM AND COMPOSITION
Composition: Assess how the elements (lines, shapes, colors, textures) are arranged within the artwork. Look for balance, symmetry, asymmetry, and the overall organization of visual elements.
Line and Shape: Examine the types of lines used (e.g., straight, curved, jagged) and the shapes (geometric, organic) present in the artwork.
2. COLOR
Color Theory: Analyze the artist’s use of color and its emotional or symbolic significance. Consider color harmony, contrast, saturation, and temperature.
3. TEXTURE AND SURFACE
Texture: Evaluate the physical texture of the artwork, such as brushwork, impasto, or the use of different materials. How does texture contribute to the overall effect?
Surface Quality: Consider the smoothness or roughness of the surface and how it interacts with the artwork’s content.
4. SPACE
Perspective: Determine if there’s a sense of depth and perspective in the artwork, whether through linear perspective, atmospheric perspective, or other techniques.
Positive and Negative Space: Examine the relationship between the objects or subjects (positive space) and the background (negative space) and how they create visual tension.
5. LIGHT AND SHADOW
Chiaroscuro: Analyze the use of light and shadow to create volume and depth in three-dimensional objects or figures.
Highlight and Shadow: Observe how light sources are depicted and how they affect the overall mood and atmosphere of the artwork.
6. SYMBOLISM AND MEANING
Symbolic Elements: Identify any symbols, allegorical references, or cultural references within the artwork and interpret their significance.
Narrative: Determine if there is a narrative or story being conveyed and analyze how the visual elements support the narrative.
7. STYLE AND TECHNIQUE
Artistic Style: Recognize the artist’s distinctive style, considering their use of materials, brushwork, and unique techniques.
Technical Skill: Assess the level of technical skill demonstrated in the execution of the artwork.
8. CONTEXT AND HISTORY
Artistic Movements: Place the artwork within the context of the artistic movement or period it belongs to. Understand how it relates to the broader artistic trends of its time.
Artist’s Biography: Consider the artist’s background, life experiences, and intentions, as these may influence the interpretation of the work.
9. EMOTION AND IMPACT
Emotional Response: Reflect on the emotional or intellectual response the artwork elicits in you and in others. What emotions or thoughts does it provoke?
Impact: Consider the overall impact of the artwork, including its ability to communicate a message or provoke discussion.
10. CULTURAL AND SOCIETAL RELAVANCE
Cultural Context: Examine how the artwork reflects or comments on the culture, society, or historical period in which it was created.
Relevance: Consider the contemporary relevance of the artwork and its potential to address social, political, or cultural issues.
Remember that art analysis is subjective, and interpretations may vary from person to person. It’s important to support your analysis with evidence from the artwork itself and relevant historical and cultural contexts. Additionally, personal experiences and perspectives can greatly influence one’s appreciation and understanding of art.
Paper Guidelines:
MS Word or PDF
Use a standard font like 12 pt Times New Roman or 11 pt Arial.
Set 1 inch page margins.
Apply double line spacing.
Include a title page.
Images and references need to be cited

1. Do a deep dive on your artist/topic by not only visiting websites, but also searching for books or articles about your artist/topic that we have available to us in Library. Keep a citation list of these sources that you can include as a citation page on your essay and on the last slide of your presentation.
2. Compile your research into a 2-page paper, with correlations drawn between your own work and the work at hand. Include basic background information on the artist (if publicly available). 

Instead
of celebrating the rich and powerful, many modern artists focused their
attention on ordinary working people. Describe and analyze an artwork
that focuses on work or other everyday activities of ordinary people from the 19th century.
Identify the artwork(s) you plan to analyze–explain the context, overall appearance of subject matter of the artwork. 
Include a clear thesis statement about the purpose or message (in your view) of the artwork
Body
Develop two to three main points that help explain or support (evidence) your thesis. 
Evidence should draw on careful observation and description of the
artwork itself, as well as your knowledge of the cultural and/or
personal context in which it was created
Conclusion
Restate your thesis in more detail.
Remind your reader of the evidence you have presented to support your thesis. 
You may wish to provide a final personal reflection on why the
artwork is meaningful to you, or what it has to offer to viewers of our
own time.

What are some of the primary considerations we need to keep in mind as designers in the twenty-first century?

Topics in Contemporary Art
Minimum: 1000-1200 words 3-4 pages
The interview Paper.
In this paper you are going to choose one of the artists who we studied over the semester ( KARA WALKER )
and you are going to imagine that you interview him/her/they for an art magazine.
– You have to create the questions and also the answers. A minimum of 8 questions.
The answers should be each a long paragraph.
– Your questions must have to do mostly with their work. Only use biographical details if
they are relevant and important to understand their work.
– Choose your questions wisely so they can help you to write interesting answers and
ensure that the paper will be long enough.
– The questions/answers can cover topics such:
– technical process
– creative processes.
– Sources of the work
– Relation to other artworks, other artists, other art movements.
– The issues important in the work: think about:
gender, discrimination racism, the body, the importance of politics, the importance of
technology.
– Meaning(s) of the work.
– Select an artist whose work you like and find interesting. Do research concerning
their work, history, exhibition history. Read interviews in magazine online to get an idea
of what an interview is really about. You can use these online publications:
Hyperallergic, Artnews.com.
You can also find art magazines such as Art in America or Art Forum in the periodical
section of the Library.
– use specific artworks by the artist (include title and date) to support the questions and
answers.
For ex:
Question:Your work(-title-) of (-date-) incorporate the theme of (– theme-).Can you
plain its importance for you?
– Do not forget to cite the sources of information in the body of your essay. Refer to
the Citation Guide posted on Brightspace under Course Units.
Your paper will be grades following these criteria:
Spelling and grammar
Pertinence of the questions and answers
Knowledge of the artwork of the artist you selected.
Sources used and cited (at least 4 sources, art magazines or scholarly articles).

Analyze The Processional Cross sculpture that is located at the MET muesuem. Within the essay, you must state a formal analysis but emphasis on the significance of the artwork. The question i made up for the essay overall is, “What is the significance of the missing heads?”

Paper is originally 4 pages long, can you please make the 1st page fully introduction, maybe even have it go into the 2nd page. Thesis (central idea/ academic argument)
B. Brief Introduction of Artist, Culture, Religion, and/or Time Period (or other relevant contexts) C. Work to be studied
1) brief description (title, date, medium, location, style, subject matter, etc.)
2) brief explanation of why you chose this work (its relevance to your thesis) And then the 2nd page be the supporting evidence about the thesis.  Supporting Evidence (Idea/ point #1)
A. Description of evidence (Make sure to indicate your source or sources)
B. Your interpretation of evidence in relation to your thesis (In what ways is this evidence
relevant to and convincing of your topic? Present any counterevidence and your rebuttal.)

Education holds important role in the development of human capital
Do you agree or disagree to the statement?