Assignments
Assignment 1: Write a 350- to 700-word wiki entry on the subject of visual arts, in which you define the purpose and language of the visual arts. Imagine that your wiki entry on visual arts is to be included in a university wiki on art history and art appreciation topics.
Include the following in your wiki entry:
• A definition of the visual arts
• A discussion of the visual arts as distinct from other forms of creative expression
• A listing of the different media of visual art, such as painting, sculpture, photography, and so on, with a brief definition of each
• A definition of the meaning of historical, social, and aesthetic values and eras in visual art
• A discussion of the factors that influence the way people interpret works of visual art as a cultural value
Question 1: Do you think that understanding and studying aesthetics is important? Explain why.
Question 2: What do you think are the characteristics of visual art that distinguish it from all other forms of artistic expression?
Question 3: Every civilization has created art; why do you think art was an important component of every culture and society? Explain.
Question 4: In your own words, what is the purpose of art in our society? In our own family/individual lives?
Question 5: How does an artist balance technical skills and planning with spontaneous creativity? Does one revoke or supersede the other? If so, explain when and how.
Question 6: Henri Matisse, a leader of the Fauve movement, created works that exude tremendous power simply because of his use of color. Examine a copy of his painting Harmony in Red (The Red Room). How does Matisse use color and patterns to create depth? Do you think his method was effective? Explain why or why not.
Question 7: Monet's Grainstack (Sunset) exemplifies plein air painting. Monet has provided clues throughout the work that inform us of the time of day. Compare this work to four of the other grainstack paintings at the Web Museum in Paris. Grainstack (Sunset) is also there under its French title. Each of these paintings of grainstacks is descriptive of a different time of day. What changes has Monet made in the color palette to represent the time of day he intends? What effect does time of day have on light quality? How do you think Monet was able to effectively capture a light condition that only existed for a few minutes each day? For a more startling example of time-of-day change, look at Monet's paintings of the Rouen Cathedral.
Question 8: We typically think of patterns as flat, but Matisse and a few other artists are said to "deny illusory space." What do you think is meant by that phrase? Do you agree? Explain why or why not.
Assignment 2: Provide a response of approximately 150 words for each of the following:
• Describe the artwork in terms of the six elements of visual design: line, space, light and color, texture, pattern, and time and motion. Focus on the elements that are most relevant to your selected work of art.
• Analyze the work in terms of the five principles of visual design: balance, emphasis and focal point, scale and proportion, repetition and rhythm, and unity and variety. Focus on the principles that are most relevant to your selected work of art.
• Evaluate the quality of the artwork based on the elements and principles of visual design. Analyze and interpret what the artist intended to communicate through this artwork, including the significance of the title, if any.
• Assess the cultural and historical value of this artwork. Does it qualify as great art in your opinion? Justify your answer.
Question 9: How did the invention of paper and the implements of paintbrushes and pencils revolutionize art?
Question 10: Based on what you read in Chapter 9, what are some of the options an artist has in selection painting media? What are some of the differences between these media in terms of style, application, expressiveness, etc.?
Question 11: How can the live human body be defined in terms of sculpture? How can you analyze a performance art piece in terms of sculptural vocabulary?
Question 12: What are the arguments for form versus function? Between the two, which do you think should take precedence in a work of visual art? How about in a table or chair? Are there any items that serve both purposes equally? What are they and why?
Assignment 3: Describe a plan for a virtual reality environment that includes selections of art and architecture from the text. As in many existing virtual reality experiences, such as Second Life or the SIMS, you can be as creative as you like when describing your own corner of a virtual reality world.
Write a 750- to 1,050-word paper summarizing your virtual environment that includes the following:
• A description of at least one work of architecture featured in the course readings with a summary of the building's history and style, as well as information on how it originally shaped its environment, and how you will use it to shape the virtual reality environment you are creating. Include the following in your description of your selected work or works of architecture:
o Who was the architect? What was his or her background and nationality?
o When was the building created?
o Where is it located?
o What is the building's original purpose?
• A description of at least one sculpture that continues the theme or mood set by your selected work(s) of architecture.How does your sculpture amplify the message that your selected architectural work communicates to onlookers? Include the following in your description of your selected work or works of sculpture:
o Who was the sculptor? What was her or his background and nationality?
o When was the sculpture originally created?
o Where was the original location of the sculpture?
o For what purpose was the sculpture originally created?
• A selection of four to five drawings and paintings from the text that you will place in your selected work of architecture. Describe how they complement the mood or theme of your virtual reality environment, and include responses to the following:
o What materials or media are used in the creation of drawings?
o What materials or media are generally needed in painting?
o How is drawing often a part of the development of a painted work of art?
o Why do some artists draw before they paint?
o How do the skills of painting and drawing compare?
• A selection of two to three examples of craft media from the text that you will place in your selected work of architecture. Describe how they complement the mood or theme of your virtual reality environment and include responses to the following:
o Who was the creator?
o What was her or his background and nationality?
o When was the example of craft media originally created?
o Where was the original location of the example of craft media?
o For what purpose was the example of craft media originally created?
o Does the form impede or support the function of your craft media examples?
Question 13: Describe the relationship between pre-Christian spirituality and ancient forms of artistic expression. How is spirituality represented in art? What types of media/modes of expression seem to work best with particular spiritualities/world views?
Question 14: Describe and compare the contributions and characteristics of the visual art of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Albrecht Dürer, and Raphael. Can you see a development of technique and content?
Question 15: Baroque paintings often included the painting of a light source within the painting. How did this contribute to the emotional and expressive properties of the Baroque paintings?
Question 16: Do we still lean towards aesthetics from the Enlightenment and Romantic era in contemporary magazine and television commercials? Explain why. Provide examples.
Assignment 4: For this assignment choose two works of architecture to compare, or two other types of art for comparison.
Select two different civilizations from the following list, and then select a representative work of art or architecture for each:
• Ancient Mesopotamian cultures including:
o Sumeria
o Babylon
o Assyria
o Ancient Egyptian civilization
o River Valley societies in India and China
o Classical Greece
o Classical Rome
Write a 350- to 700-word essay comparing the two selected works, which includes the following:
• The time period in which each work was created
• The geographic region in which each work was created
• The name of the artist or architect, if known
• The purpose for which they were intended to serve
• A visual description of each work applying the principles and elements of design
• A description of the similarities and differences of these two works
• How the cultural values of the civilizations that created them are apparent in the works
• How the works function in our culture in the present day
Question 17: How did the invention of photography influence other visual arts, such as painting and sculpture?
Question 18: Why have there been so many diverse visual art forms created in the last 50 years?
Question 19: Examine the architecture in your community including public buildings and homes. Do they reflect the 20th century developments of Wright and Sullivan? Explain how and why.
Question 20: In your own words, please describe the relationship between art and the environment? What, if any, is the artist's role in helping to preserve the environment?
Assignment 5:
Choose a work of visual art, in this same spirit, that was created between 1870 and 1930, anywhere in the world, which resonates with you personally.
Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper discussing how you would transform this image to make a strong personal statement using one of the following contemporary visual arts media:
• Photography
• Film
• Video
• Computer-based media
Include the following information about the original work of art:
• The name and nationality of the artist
• The media that was used
• Title of the original art work
• The date it was created
• A full verbal description and visual analysis of the work
• The aesthetic movement it represents
• The message it was intended to communicate
• The influence of new technologies (photography, film, video, computer-based media, etc.) on the selected work, if applicable
Include the following about the new work of art:
• A detailed description of the work you would create
• A description of how you would create your art work
• A description of the media, process, and materials you would use
• The message your new work communicates
• Where your new work would be displayed and the intended audience
• The role of new technologies (photography, film, video, computer-based media, etc.) on your new art work
• Explain how the message you intend relates to the message that was intended by the original artist
Review the following supplemental resources for reference:
• For The Judgment of Paris, see Fig. 19-25 in A World of Art.
• For Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe, see Fig. 19-24 in A World of Art.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also Include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.
Download:- Museum-Website-Scavenger-Hunt-Worksheet.rar