Assignment
In this Discussion, you will write a 500-750 word (tiny paper) analysis in which you examine how the artist’s unique approach to their medium impacts the meaning of the work of art. This format requires you to condense your ideas and focus only on those that are directly relevant to the topic.
Overview
The way an artist manipulates form (medium, visual elements, design principles) in a work of art directly impacts the content, or how the work is understood by the viewer. Moreover, great masters such as Donatello, Rembrandt, and Van Gogh often pushed the boundaries of materials to explore creative approaches that were very different from prevailing trends.
Many artists after World War II also became disenchanted with conventional approaches to making art. They couldn’t see themselves painting something as banal as a vase of flowers or a reclining nude after witnessing the atomic bomb, global destruction, and the death of millions during the Holocaust. As a result, artists began to look for new materials and approaches to help them celebrate their personal identity and better express how they felt about the world. New content called for a new expressive approach.
Background on Assemblage
Assemblage was the most important new approach, but it was not a medium in the traditional sense. Assemblage artists work extensively with found, recycled, and discarded materials. Pablo Picasso, Joseph Cornell, Robert Rauschenberg, Bruce Conner, Betye Saar, and Edward Kienholz, among others, are all notable artists who worked in Assemblage.
Video on Assemblage
Step One
Each of the artists listed at the bottom of this page, use materials in a unique way that makes a powerful visual statement.
Before you make your selection or write your post, scroll all the way to the bottom of this page and review all the artists. Then select a work of art that you find engaging or piques your curiosity. Write about the image because you care.
Step Two
After you select one of the of artists, organize your 500-750 word analysis into four categories and follow the instructions listed below. It may be helpful to use headings in your Discussion post.
Subject
Clearly state and describe the subject. What type of subject is it? In general, what is the story, or narrative (if applicable)?
Form and Content – Medium
Clearly describe the artist’s unique approach to using the materials and why they chose those materials. Explain how this approach contributes to making a powerful visual statement and reinforces the meaning. In other words, what was the artist trying to say or express by doing it this way?
Form and Content – Visual Element or Principal of Design
Clearly identify and describe the most dominant visual element or design principle used in the artwork. Explain how it contributes to making a powerful visual statement and reinforces the meaning. In other words, how did the artist’s use of this element strengthen what the artist was trying to say or express?
Artists:
1. Deborah Butterfield
2. Joseph Cornell
3. Vincent Van Gogh
0 comments