We use language in expressive ways to underscore our meaning when we speak. The arts also have their own language used by artists and performers in a variety of unique and expressive ways. The language of the visual arts includes elements of composition such as line, color, form, and repetition. Visual artists use each of these elements and many other factors of composition to create unique works. Learning the language of the arts is one way of gaining a deeper understanding of the ideas that exist in a painting, a sculpture, or a work of architecture.

What is it that we communicate when we speak to one another? Often, we share stories, ideas, or just how we are feeling. The arts use their own language in a similar way to share ideas and the values that are important to the society in which the artwork was made.

For your Week 2 Assignment, choose one of the options listed below to develop your understanding of the visual arts and how they communicate.

Option A

Research Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Théodore Géricault’s The Raft of the Medusa.

Describe each work in terms of its elements of composition–what is its shape, color, material, and so forth.

Describe the work in terms of its symbolic significance–what was Maya Lin’s purpose in designing the memorial as she did? Additionally, what does the work say about our society in terms of what we value and how we choose to commemorate or respond to national events? Answer the same questions for Géricault’s The Raft of the Medusa.

Submit your assignment in one of the following formats:

• A 350- to 700-word paper
• A 4- to 7-minute podcast or video

Option B

Compare and contrast Michelangelo’s Pietà and Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, two works from the High Renaissance.

Describe the elements of composition for each.

Explain what was unique about the artistic choices made by da Vinci and Michelangelo that has led to their continuing popularity.

Describe what you believe to be the ideas or values present in each work. In other words, what philosophies and interests of the artists led to each creating this work and creating it in the manner in which they did?

Submit your assignment in one of the following formats:

• A 350- to 700-word paper
• A 4- to 7-minute podcast or video

Option C

Research Roman aqueducts, such as the Pont du Gard near Nîmes, France included in your text.

Compare Roman aqueducts to your city’s own water management system. What are the similarities and differences? Include a description of the structural elements of Roman aqueducts in your comparison.

Describe what you believe Roman aqueducts say about ancient Roman society in terms of what they valued and how they worked.

Submit your assignment in one of the following formats:

• A 350- to 700-word paper
• A 4- to 7-minute podcast or video

For each option, including the podcast and video, you must include a Reference page. For a podcast/video, create your Reference page, with a minimum of 3 scholarly sources, in a Word document and upload with your other files. This page should reflect proper APA formatting.

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. This means that a title page, introduction, and conclusion are present. Legitimate (not Wikipedia or About.com) scholarly references (a minimum of three) should be used and cited, including a reference page.