Work of Art

Your critique should be presented as professionally as possible. It must be double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman font (no bold type), with correct spelling, punctuation and grammar. Do not put extra spacing between paragraphs.
The paper must include a title page, plus 1.5 to 2.5 pages of text, (not to exceed 4 pages), and a Works Cited page. The MLA format should be used. You may use online sources for the MLA style. (Google: OWL at Purdue) It is not necessary to include the image of the work of art you are analyzing, but it is fine if you do. If you include an image, use a separate page after the title page and before your critique text. Do not include an image on the title page. You will be required to use at least one citation and a Works Cited page for this critique.
20 points will be deducted if your critique is not 1.5 to 2.5 pages of text.
This is a strict requirement!
Your critique must be submitted as an attachment through SafeAssign on Bblearn. This is located below this assignment under Exams and Critiques—look for the green checkmark. The critique file must be in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format only.
If you are having trouble submitting your paper in the correct format, please contact e-learning at 523-9294 for assistance. You may also deliver a hard copy to the Instructor before the due date.
Analysis of the Work of Art:
Your analysis of the works of art you have chosen to write about should include a formal, analytic description of the work as well as a personal interpretation. In all, the analysis must have 5 main sections: Description, Medium, Style, Elements & Principles, and Personal Interpretation.
1. Find the painting on your bblearn site that you wish to write about. You must choose from the paintings provided; no others will be accepted. The first paragraph of your paper should be a detailed description of the painting you have chosen to analyze. These descriptions must be thorough enough that the reader-graders should be able to visualize the painting based on what you write. A short background on the artist and/or the story behind the painting may be included, but remember that this is not a report on the artist’s life and that any information used must be cited and a Works Cited page must be included. I do not accept Wikipedia as a source.
2. In the second paragraph, describe the medium (type of paint and the surface painted on) used in the work of art you are analyzing. The description of each medium must also include your opinion regarding why the artist chose the particular medium he/she used in the work of art. For example, one artist may choose to paint in acrylic for durability, while another artist may choose to paint in watercolor because it is more direct and expressive. Explain how the chosen medium enhances the statement the artist makes in the work you analyze.
3. In the third paragraph, analyze the style of the painting. Is it realistic, idealistic, abstract, or non-objective? Discuss when the work you have chosen to write about was produced. What does this work express about the time and culture in which it was created?
4. The fourth paragraph of your critique should be an analysis of the formal elements and principles of design used in this work of art. Remember, you must discuss at least four (4) elements or principles and use them with the correct meanings. You must support your opinions. Your vocabulary should use terms for 2-D art.
5. Lastly, please give your personal interpretation and opinion of the painting you have chosen. Explain why you chose this particular work from those available. Discuss such matters as: What is it about the work that appeals to you or displeases you? How does this work make you feel? Does the work evoke emotions, such as laughter, boredom, disgust, delight? Why? Why do you think the artist created the painting?
Please see the grading rubric for a clear outline of what must be included in your critique, and the point values assigned to each section.
Please note: When you use direct quotes or information drawn from research sources, or paraphrase any source, those sources must be cited in-text and in a Works Cited page in the MLA Citation Style. If you do not cite quotations or the source(s) of specific information, you are plagiarizing! Please read the link called Preventing Plagiarizing.
Point Value of Critique
• The critique will be graded out of 100 points.
Evaluation of the Critique:
• The critique will be graded according to a rubric. There is a link to this you should read.
• Critiques may NOT be re-written for a higher grade.
• You may consult the Instructor or the Reader-Grader for assistance prior to turning in your critique.
• If you need assistance with grammar, spelling, or punctuation please contact the Learning Assistance Center for tutoring.
• Plagiarism or other forms of cheating will result in a failing grade for the assignment and, possibly, the entire class. It is very easy for us to check on this.
Scroll down!

Did you overuse the words, “very†, “really†, “just†, “kind of†?
Instead of using “you†, did you use “I†, or “the viewer†, or “one†?
Did you use proper capitalization? (I, not i) The title of the painting should always use capitalization and be italicized or underlined.
Did you use contractions? (Say do not—not, don’t)
Did you use slang words or phrases? (This ginormous painting is totally awesome man.)

Is there a title page in the correct format?
Are your descriptions of the works clear and detailed? Do they fully identify the painting?
Did you discuss the style of the work? Did you discuss the time in which the work was created?
Did you identify 4 elements and/or principles that are unique to the work of art? Did you explain how and why the artist used those elements or principles to make the statement he/she intended for the work?
Did you explain your personal thoughts and opinions about the work?
Did you or a friend read the critique aloud to check the content and flow of your paper?
Did you edit carefully, checking spelling, grammar and punctuation?
Is the title of the work of art either italicized or underlined?
Did you consult the internet or any publication to research for your critique?
THE FORMAL ELEMENTS

Line –
• Includes actual lines, implied lines, lines formed by edges, directional lines, and lines forming pattern, texture, shading, and contour lines creating modeling
• Strictly defined: a line is a path traced by a moving point
• Can be organic or straight
• Popular among artists utilizing contour lines such as Matisse

Shape –
• A two-dimensional area having identifiable boundaries, created by lines, color or value changes, or some combination of these
• Form: deals with composition and the physical appearance of a work of art relating to materials and style

Mass –
• Three-dimensional form, often implying bulk, density, and weight

Light –
• Actual light, illusion of light
• The contrasts created by light and darkness (related to value)
• The origin of light and how that effects the interpretation of the work
• Rembrandt is well known as a painter of light. He uses small beams of light as emphasis in his paintings, creating shadows. He plays with light in such as way so that the light itself actually becomes a character in the painting.

Value –
• Refers to light and dark, chiaroscuro (movement or gesture of light and shade)
• The gradation of a gray scale or hue, tint and shade

Color –
• Local color, emotional qualities of color (the mood), color schemes
• Analogous color, monochromatic color, triads, polychromatic color, absence of color

Texture –
• Can be actual or implied through medium, style, composition, value, color, pattern, etc.

Pattern –
• Any decorative, repetitive motif or design
• Can create visual texture

Space –
• Can be 2- or 3-dimensional, may refer to the illusion of space or depth on a 2-dimentional surface (i.e. perspective)
• The area behind the shape, the background
• Architecture: appreciating the sculptural masses from the outside, while walking through the shaped space from the inside
• The void within boundaries
• “The works of art take their character from the ways in which they carve out volumes of space within and around them.†(Gilbert’s Living with Art – 6th ed.)

Time –
• Variations of light to indicate a time of day
• Popular with Impressionists like Monet (He enjoyed making studies of the same environment or object at different times of day. He believed that each shift in light created a different subject, as though there were no continuing reality but only a collection of moments.)

Motion – Implied or actual kinetic energy, dynamismPopular with Futurists in the early 20th century such as Balla, Calder, and Boccioni due to inventions such as the automobile and airplanes.

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

Unity –
• A sense of oneness, a coherent whole
• Appears almost always with Variety. Artists strive to find just the right point on the spectrum – the point at which there is sufficient visual unity enlivened by sufficient variety.
Variety –
• Differences that create interest
Balance –
• Can refer to symmetrical, asymmetrical, radial, or actual physical balance, such as in sculpture
• Also refers to the visual weight of a piece, the distribution of parts around an axis or point
Emphasis and Focal Point –
• Can be a center of interest, an area emphasized by directional forces, color, proportion, etc.
• Works with Subordination
Subordination –
• Certain areas of the composition are purposefully made less visually interesting, so that the areas of emphasis stand out
• Can be just as visually stimulating as the Focal Point, but fades to create an atmosphere or backdrop to the subject matter
Proportion –
• Relative sizes of objects within the image itself

Scale –
• Size of the work of art in relation to external objects in its environment
• Outrageous scale is evident in the work of Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen – Plantoir.

Rhythm and Repetition –
• Refers to visual rhythms, repetition of elements in color, shape, size, etc.
• Can be related to Pattern
• An example would be to try to paint music, what kind of patterns and rhythms would need to be present to convey that message? – Lorna Simpson’s Easy to Remember