- 04 Apr, 2021
- 0 Comments
- 2 Mins Read
The Blue Room
Instructions
For this assignment, you will be writing a short (2-3 page) essay about an artwork of your choice. The artwork must have been made in 1850 or later. If it was made yesterday, great. If it’s the Mona Lisa, it’s not allowed. This is a modern and contemporary art class.
Be creative! As long as you choose an example of visual art (not music) made in or after 1850, and steer away from writing about an entire building (you could do a sculpture or mural on or near a building), you can choose what you’d like. I also want you to avoid Pop Art – no Warhol, Lichtenstein or Rosenquist. Students do a poor job on this kind of work before they have studied it, so avoid it for now.
You can pick something traditional like a modern painting from your textbook, or you can pick something nontraditional like a mural in your neighborhood, a clothing item, a drawing you made, a still image from a Youtube video, a movie poster, a tattoo, an album cover, etc.
STEP ONE: Once you’ve chosen an artwork, give me a picture of it. You can email it to me (gkogut@bmcc.cuny.edu), or you can give me a print-out of it.
STEP TWO: Write a 2-3 page essay describing your artwork. Structure it like this:
Introduction: Introduce the artwork and the topic of the essay (“I am analyzing the form and content of…”). Give me as much basic information as you can. Where did you find the artwork? Do you know the title, the artist’s name, the date, the size? If not, you can say so.
Thesis: The introduction (first paragraph) should contain a thesis. A thesis is the argument that your paper puts forward. It should be underlined and read something like this: “I argue that this artwork is about ____.” (The artwork could be about the power of love, how black lives matter, Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, the value of beauty, etc. Be imaginative.)
Formal Analysis: Describe what the artwork looks like. Be detailed! Use the “Form and Content” Powerpoint on Blackboard. Talk about line, shape, color, texture (take a guess), light and dark, and composition. Imagine I can’t see the artwork and you’re trying to give me a mental picture of it. Be as specific as you can.
Content Analysis: Discuss what you feel the artwork might mean. Elaborate on your thesis statement. Ask yourself: What is this about? What do I feel when I look at it? What might it be used for? How could it relate to culture, religion or politics?
Comparison: What artwork that we have studied is your choice the most like? How? Or: what artwork that we have studied is your choice the least like? How? You can think about form and content, but also about modern art strategies.
Conclusion: Explain why you chose this artwork. Do you like it or dislike it, and why? Does it have personal significance for you?
Be creative! As long as you choose an example of visual art (not music) made in or after 1850, and steer away from writing about an entire building (you could do a sculpture or mural on or near a building), you can choose what you’d like. I also want you to avoid Pop Art – no Warhol, Lichtenstein or Rosenquist. Students do a poor job on this kind of work before they have studied it, so avoid it for now.
You can pick something traditional like a modern painting from your textbook, or you can pick something nontraditional like a mural in your neighborhood, a clothing item, a drawing you made, a still image from a Youtube video, a movie poster, a tattoo, an album cover, etc.
STEP ONE: Once you’ve chosen an artwork, give me a picture of it. You can email it to me (gkogut@bmcc.cuny.edu), or you can give me a print-out of it.
STEP TWO: Write a 2-3 page essay describing your artwork. Structure it like this:
Introduction: Introduce the artwork and the topic of the essay (“I am analyzing the form and content of…”). Give me as much basic information as you can. Where did you find the artwork? Do you know the title, the artist’s name, the date, the size? If not, you can say so.
Thesis: The introduction (first paragraph) should contain a thesis. A thesis is the argument that your paper puts forward. It should be underlined and read something like this: “I argue that this artwork is about ____.” (The artwork could be about the power of love, how black lives matter, Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, the value of beauty, etc. Be imaginative.)
Formal Analysis: Describe what the artwork looks like. Be detailed! Use the “Form and Content” Powerpoint on Blackboard. Talk about line, shape, color, texture (take a guess), light and dark, and composition. Imagine I can’t see the artwork and you’re trying to give me a mental picture of it. Be as specific as you can.
Content Analysis: Discuss what you feel the artwork might mean. Elaborate on your thesis statement. Ask yourself: What is this about? What do I feel when I look at it? What might it be used for? How could it relate to culture, religion or politics?
Comparison: What artwork that we have studied is your choice the most like? How? Or: what artwork that we have studied is your choice the least like? How? You can think about form and content, but also about modern art strategies.
Conclusion: Explain why you chose this artwork. Do you like it or dislike it, and why? Does it have personal significance for you?