This assessment will look more closely at the means of expression.
There is a tradition of artistic interpretation that stresses expression as the main goal of artworks. Whether it’s a painting, a film, a novel, a play, music, or a piece of sculpture, artwork can give expression to ideas and emotions that can be difficult to express in ordinary words. We’ve seen that artworks convey aspects of culture and family tradition. But they can also express and communicate religious ideas and feelings, or political struggles. And a work of art can express the personal experiences and inner life of the artist who created it. A work of art can do all of this in a way that connects the viewer or audience to the artist. Some see this type of connection as the closest we can get to experiencing the inner life of another person.
For example, to get an idea of the means artworks have available for expression, consider how a representational painting conveys much more than what’s directly represented (for example, a human figure or mountainscape). A painter can use color, line, shading, and composition (arrangement of forms) to express ideas and emotions about what’s depicted in the painting.
For this assessment, first, choose an artwork to analyze as a means of expression. You should choose an artwork different from the one you selected for Assessment 1. You may select an artwork of your preference or any artwork from the Exploring Cultures text. Remember, a work of art can take a variety of forms, include a painting, a poem, a film, a piece of music, a story, or a sculpture.
Instructions
Once you select your work of art, write 2–3 pages in which you complete the following:
Describe what is depicted in the selected work of art.
Identify the artist (or artists), when the art was created or published, and the form the art takes (music, painting, short story, etc.).
If the work depicts a subject or event (like representational paintings, sculptures, stories, or films do), describe what is depicted.
If the artwork is nonrepresentational (like an abstract painting or sculpture, music, or architecture), you can simply say that it is nonrepresentational.
Explain two or three things that the artwork expresses, beyond whatever is directly depicted in the work.
Focus on your own reaction to and interpretation of the artwork.
What ideas, moods, emotions, hopes, aspirations, or states of mind do you think the artist is trying to express? If the artwork is representational, perhaps the artist is expressing certain feelings about what’s depicted (such as grief, anger, or joy). If the artwork is nonrepresentational, describe the feelings or memories the piece evokes.
Describe at least three features of the work that have expressive power.
Here you can focus on qualities specific to the selected art (color, line, shape, composition, light and shading, sound, and so forth). These are the aspects of the work that do the job of communicating to the viewer or listener something that can’t easily be expressed in ordinary language.
Explain how your cultural perspective shapes your interpretation of the art.
Describe any cultural biases that may influence this explanation.
Write in a well-organized and concise manner that adheres to the rules of grammar, usage, mechanics, citations, and formatting.
Citations: You will need to use at least one source to identify the author and date of creation or publication Properly cite sources according to APA rules. Review Evidence and APA for more information on how to cite your sources.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:
Competency 1: Analyze personal cultural bias.
Explain how cultural perspective shapes the interpretation of the art.
Competency 3: Analyze cultural differences and similarities of people globally.
Explain two or three things that the artwork expresses.
Competency 4: Analyze the role of culture and artistic expression in human thought and behavior.
Describe what is depicted in a selected work of art.
Describe at least three features of the work that have expressive power.
Competency 5: Address the assignment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences.
Write in a well-organized and concise manner that adheres to the rules of grammar, usage, mechanics, citations, and formatting.