Posted: February 13th, 2015

Art critque

Art critque

Order Description

it says museum visit paper on the guidelines im uploading but all you have to do is pick a art piece to work on and right about don’t have to visit a museum and it must be a painting you right on. and PLEASE follow the format that the guideline shows that i will upload the last writer didn’t do that. Thanks alot!

This is an example of how to format your museum paper, please follow it, it makes it easier on you and me.   It may not be the only way, but it is effective and easy to follow

Persephone

By Thomas Hart Benton
[must include pix]

a critique presented
by

Tim Cruise [name on front]
ARTS 105E / Art Appreciation

This first section includes the intro, vital stats, and a verbal description it is worth 20 points

[I have written what I hope will be some helpful suggestions for you in red, look at them as stage directions]
Introduction [a short simple intro]
“Persephone”, a painting by Thomas Hart Benton, Missouri born artist was painted in 1938. Benton painted this as well as many of his works during the Great Depression, and this is evident in much of his work.  “Persephone”, was one of a pair of paintings created by Benton that explored the unusual theme of beautiful young naked women in a private setting being leered at by older men. It, being called “Susannah and the Elders”.

Theme [Theme is not necessary, but it is nice, theme info is located in chap. 1.]
The theme I feel is best represented by “Persephone”, is Story Telling.  This is because the true story of the work is an updating of the classical Greek myth of the same name.  The evidence is clear once you understand the myth, of the kidnapping of the beautiful daughter of the goddess Demeter.
Description & Identification
Vital Stats:
Title: “Persephone”
Artist: Thomas Hart Benton
Size: 72” x 56”
Media: egg tempera / oil paint
Date: 1938
Location: Nelson Atkins Art Museum, Kansas City, Missouri
Other: one of Mr. Benton’s favorite works

Detailed description:
“Persephone”, is set in a wooded rural setting, [Ozark hills].  The central figure is a reclining nude young lady, perhaps sunning herself after a swim in the nearby creek.  She rests against a old knurled tree.  A lecherous old man is leering at the beautiful girl.  There is a lot of typical Ozark vegetation.  In the back ground on the left is a field full of harvested grain.  On the right is a wagon harnessed to a brace of Missouri mules. Benton purposefully ties the work to the Ozark Mountains.  Another interesting aspect is the young lady’s crumpled clothing again updating the ancient Greek tale to a modern myth  [lots of detail describing the piece, you can use a little figurative writing but do not let it take away from the description, btw. This could have been much longer]

**Please follow this format**

Analysis of Form

This section is worth 60 points

Subject matter: an Ozark landscape with a meandering stream on the left.  The focal point is the nude young lady at the center of the work, The old man is peering menacingly and lustfully at the girl.  The Ozark flavor is evident throughout the work.

Elements of Art / Principles of Design:  each of the 15 terms you analyze is worth a max of 4 points, making a total of 60 points on this section
Elements of Art:

1.Line: the line used most often by Benton is a modified type of contour line.  The lines are organic which emphasizes the natural qualities of the work.  There are both implied lines and actual lines.  The implied lines are formed by the flow of the stream, the lay of the grass and the clothes.  The curve of the woman’s body is continued in the tree.  There is also a line created by the man’s stare.  Actual lines can be found in the figures of both the old man and the girl, as well as the tree and the objects in the background

2.Shape: The predominate shapes are organic, a feature common in most landscapes.  Even the supposed geometric wagon, appears more organic.

3.Mass: as this is a two-dimensional work, by definition mass is implied

4.Space: Benton used the entire picture space in the composition of the painting.  The perspective techniques used in this piece are: Overlap, vertical placement, Diminishing size, and a slight bit of linear perspective.  Overlap in seen in  many places and is the dominant type of perspective used.  There is overlap demonstrated in almost every section of the work, some examples are the young lady overlaps the grassy knoll, and the bottom of the tree, the grassy knoll overlaps the old man as he sneaks a peek, and the basket and clothes are on top of the grass, these are just a few of the areas that demonstrate overlap.  There is vertical placement seen in the old man being placed higher than the girl, the team of mules being placed even higher, and the haystacks in the back placed highest.  Diminishing size is seen in the large figures of the two people and the smaller haystacks and mules in the background, it is also evident in the leaves of the vines as they recede in the background.  The only evidence of linear perspective, and it is a bit of a stretch is the creek, as it is wider at the bottom and gets narrower as it vanishes into the distance.

5.Time and Motion: both time and motion play roles in this piece.  Clearly it is daytime, probably on a warm autumn day, because of the haystacks.  If I had to assign a historical time it would be late 1800s to early 1900s, because of the mules and wagon, and the style of clothing.  Motion is implied, as nothing can actual move in a painting, it is shown in the creek winding its way through the picture, and perhaps the girl as it appears she is stretching coming out of her nap.

6.Light:  there is no definitive light source, but we assume it is the sun.  the light appears to be coming from the right as most of the shading is on the left, the girl and the old man demonstrate this in particular

7.Color:  The colors are for the most part earth and plant tones, soft muted greens and browns of summer, with an occasional splash of light color of the wildflowers.  This contrasted with the bright red of the dress and the pale flesh of the girl.  The girl is bordered on either side by the blues, the stream to the left, the old mans shirt and vest to the right.  The red of the dress is repeated in the patch of red vegetation to the far right.  If there is a dominant color scheme it would be analogous.

8.Texture: Texture may well be the most important element in the work.  It emphasizes line, and the natural quality of the work. As with most paintings the texture is implied.  Although the textures are natural they are varied.  The texture of the cloth is smooth and soft, the wagon is roughly hewn, unfinished wood, the glassy surface of the stream, the smooth leather of her shoes, the semi-rough woven basket, and the rough bark like texture of the tree and the log, all help the naturalistic feel of the piece.  The soft smooth skin of the girl contrast with the grizzled look of the old man.

Principles of Design:
9.Unity / Variety:  this work uses both unity and variety, unity can be seen in the enormous amount of plant life, the color also unifies the piece with all the shades of greens. There is variety in several places, first the difference in the youth of girl and the aged old man, the smooth skin of the girl and the rougher textures of the tree and the basket among others.  There is variety in the bright red dress against the girls pale skin.

10.Balance:  Even though the girl is relatively centered, the painting is still asymmetrical, the visual weight being a bit heavier on the right because of the old man

11.Emphasis / Subordination:  the emphasis as it should be is on the girl, for whom the work is named.  The emphasis is accomplished by several means.  First, the sheer size of Persephone is obvious. Next the paleness of her body adds to her importance in the piece, and finally the contrast of the texture of her skin as opposed to other textures.  The red dress also serves to emphasize the body of the girl. Subordination is shown in the landscape, particularly in on the hillside

12.Directional Force: There are three areas that show directional force, the most prominent being the curve in the young girls body demonstrates an unusual diagonal curve, the type often seen in paintings of nude women in the late 1700s and early 1800s. This diagonal curve guides us through the painting.  There are also two other areas that show directional force, one the gaze of the old man pulls our eyes to the girl, and the creek meandering through the hills also guides our eyes.

13.Contrast:  the two areas of contrast are the young pale skinned girl and the tanned and leathery old man.  There is also contrast between all the plant life and the two human figure, although both are organic there is still an obvious contrast.

14.Rhythm / Repetition: this is an important aspect of Benton’s painting.  There is rhythm in many places.  The young girl is one of the first areas where rhythm is seen, the gentle curve of her body, is an excellent example.  This rhythm is repeated in the folds of her clothes an in bark and roots of the tree.  Even the foliage has a lot of rhythm throughout the painting. Repetition is shown in several areas such as line, shape and colors of the leaves and foliage.

15. Scale and Proportion:  the girl is shown very large so although she is in porortion she is on a larger scale than anything else in the painting, otherwise the painting is to scale, and in proportion.

Interpretation of Content [this section is worth a max. of 20 points]

The story of Persephone is founded in an ancient Greek myth designed to explain the changes in the seasons.  Persephone, is the beautiful and only daughter of the goddess, Demeter, the protector of the harvest. Benton has used gentle curving lines accentuate the female figure.  One day while Persephone is relaxing by a stream, she is spied by the lonely god Hades, the god of the underworld.  Lonely is the key word here.  To put it bluntly, Hell is not a good place to be, it is hot, dreary, lots of weeping a wailing and such. Hades sees the beautiful girl and falls deeply in love. Notice how Benton uses the pale flesh, naked figure and smooth texture to emphasize the young lady.   He kidnaps her and spirits her off to the underworld.  Demeter is so distressed at the loss of her only child she forgets the harvest and allows a never ending winter to descend on the earth, causing famines and death to mankind.  She realizes what has occurred and seeks out Hades, for a compromise.  The compromise, reached is a simple one, worthy of King Solomon.  Hades will keep Persephone with him in the underworld, for six months, and for the other six months she is in the land of the living with her Mother.  This explain the seasons, winter and fall, she is with Hades, and spring and summer she is with the mother.  Benton has put a modern spin [remember it was the 30’s when the painted it] on the ancient  myth. The large scale of Persephone makes sure that she dominated the work. The piece full of symbolism of the uninhibited innocence of youth and the apparent lustful memories of old age. Benton also uses color to bring out the sensuality of the painting.

Historical Research  / Biographical Information
[this section is worth 80 points, this is where you need to cite the information you use] I highlighted the references I cited.
Thomas Hart Benton was born in 1889 in the town of Neosho, in southwestern Missouri.  Benton came from a family of politicians, many famous in the history of Missouri.  Benton loved to travel with his father on long trips through the Ozarks, meeting people, learning the history and stories of the land.  His first job in the art field at the age of 17 was drawing cartoons for a local newspaper [http://scholasticarts.org]. He left that job to attend the prestigious Chicago Art Institute, one of the finest American art schools.  He felt the Art Institute did not offer enough challenge so he left for Europe, to study with other young artists.  He returned from Paris, saying he had had enough of the “Damn isms” of modern art [Benton, 37].  He spent a short stint in Italy studying the Renaissance masters, then returned to New York, and remained for all practical purposes an unemployed failure.  The coming of WWI saw Benton enter the Navy, upon his discharge at the end of the war, Benton redoubled his efforts to be a successful artist, and soon got a job as an instructor at the Art Students League, in New York.  In 1922, he married Rita Piacenza.  He returned to Missouri and his Ozark ties [http://scholasticarts.org].  The spent 10 years traveling throughout Missouri, and surrounding states, absorbing all the “local color” he could.  He became a founding member of the “regionalists”, part of Roosevelt’s Federal Arts Project, an offshoot of his New Deal Policies [Larson, 22] .  As usual his art, style, technique, and subject mater was ridiculed by the art critics, his work was labeled, cheap, nationalistic, tabloid, and an affront to modern art.  He became known as the “Mural Painter without walls, as no one would offer him commissions [http://scholasticarts.org].  His fortune turned and the public, but not the art world accepted Benton’s murals.  His most famous work is the “Social History of the State of Missouri”, a mural in the House Lounge, in the Missouri State Capital.  Benton continued to paint Murals, and to be opinionated and controversial, never afraid to speak his mind.   Benton died in 1975 , while working on a Mural for The Country Music Hall of Fame [Larson, 92].  Benton died while working, a fitting end for this Missouri icon.  One last word on Mr. Benton, the said the reason he painted “Persephone”, was that he had always wanted to paint a picture to hang over a bar [Benton, 81].  Once a year on Mr. Benton’s birthday, the painting is removed from the museum, and taken to O’Malley’s,  an Irish style bar in Kansas City, where it remains for a week.

Value Judgment and Personal Analysis
[this section is worth 20 points, be yourself, and give your opinion,
my example could have been a bit more in depth]

This is one of my favorite Benton paintings, “Persephone”, encompasses, all that makes Benton what he is.  The strong colors, bold contour lines, rich textures, and of course the Ozark landscape, are signature Benton.  The Controversy this painting caused is also part of the Benton mystique and legend, But at the heart of it all there remains ties to the classical academic traditions, he often sought to deny. This painting continues to interest me because of the dual meaning that Benton applied to content of the piece.  It reminds me of the allegorical works by Pieter Brugel the Elder in the 1500s. I was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Benton the year of his death.  He was what he appeared to be well educated, well spoken, very opinionated and stubborn.  He called as he saw it regardless of who he might offend.  He liked to be seen as a common citizen, of the Ozarks, he was far from this. This is probably not true, but it was reported that when asked by a reporter, “why did you chose to paint this picture?”, Benton’s reply was something like, “I have always wanted to paint a picture of a naked woman that will hang over a bar”.  I fact it hung over the bar in a saloon in Kansas City for many years.

Works Cited:

Brooks, S.,  (1990). American Regionalism. New York: Double Day.
Benton, Thomas Hart, (1958). Thomas Hart Benton: An Autobiogphy.  St. Louis, Missouri: Prentice Hall.
Larson, S. (2004. September 30). Benton apprentice remembers working on mural.  My Recollections of Mr. Benton. Retrieved Jan. 13, 2005 from the Scholastic Art database on the World Wide Web: http://scholasticarts.org

One thing I need to stress is choose 1 painting, in color, no drawings, no statues, no architecture.  Once you have chosen a work, to add a pix to your paper, it is very easy to google it and then copy and paste.

Please read carefully. You are required to visit a major museum or a reputable art museum in your area, select a painting to discuss and critique in an analytical and historical context.

Due date: Week 7, Sunday, March 1st – 2015 , by 11:59 pm CST.

Points: Worth 200 points.

Art Criticism
The process of art criticism involves description, formal analysis, interpretation, and value judgment. The first step is to put into words a description of what you see, then formally analyzing the visual elements and principles of design.  Next, subjectively interpret (hopefully with new insight) what the content is, taking into account style.  Finally, judging, and going beyond prejudging to discernment, the work of art being studied; what do you think the artist’s intentions were?  Was this communicated?  Does it have value?  Can you recognize the aesthetic quality in the work?  Additionally, biographical or historical information should be offered.  Therefore, education and evaluation help to creatively critique a work of art.

Responses to artworks based on value judgment alone are not necessarily based on comprehension but simple subjectivity. As it states in the book Artforms (2009), “If we close our eyes and minds to new work that is hard to understand, we will miss the opportunity to learn from fresh insights.”

General Requirements
Your paper should be at least 4 pages long, double-spaced, with 1” margins. These pages do not include photos, title page, bibliography, etc. Type size should not exceed 12 points. Your paper should be 1200 words minimum and should include the following sections.
•    Introduction [vital stats] , style or movement, and detailed description
•    Analysis of Form
•    Interpretation of Content
•    Research and Biographical information
•    Value Judgment
Include the title information in a separate paragraph preceding your discussion of the piece. Proofread your paper, grammar and spelling count, spell check doesn’t catch everything!
You must use at least 3 sources. Research can come from the Internet and from books on art history, religion, and mythology. Please use at least two reputable Internet sources for your paper.
Submit your papers: Papers will be submitted through the course Drop box located in D2L. Each paper will be submitted through Turn It In, a Plagiarism detection site.

** I encourage you to work on your Museum Paper during weeks 4-7. Do not try to complete all of it during Week 7; it will be too much work.

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Getting Started
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First, Select a Museum
First, select a major Museum in your area. If you live in a more rural area, discuss this with me and perhaps we can arrange an on-line museum visit. However, I prefer you visit a museum in person. The experience of viewing a work of art in person cannot be duplicated in the viewing of art on-line. You will need to let me know the museum you have selected for instructor approval.

Then — Select a work of art and get started
1. IDENTIFICATION: At the museum or museum site, you are to select a “Painting”. You may select a piece that you like or dislike. Copy down all the information provided; Artist, title, medium, year, size, etc. Write down your initial responses. How do you respond to the work? Does it invoke an emotional response? What do you think the artist was trying to communicate? It is helpful to bring a notebook to record your responses.  You must provide a picture of the painting, [google images has almost every well known painting.
2. DESCRIBE the painting. Look at it CAREFULLY. What do you see? Note all the details about the work. How would you describe it to a blind person, or to someone you were talking to on the phone, who can’t see it?
3. ANALYZE the visual elements and design principles as you did in the short paper, all 15 elements/principles.  Think about the relationship between form, content and subject matter in your analysis. This will be helpful in your ‘interpretation’ of the work. Use the terminology you have learned in class, particularly terms in Chapters 2 -5. Your analysis should be based your own observations while viewing the work. All 15 terms must be discussed, even if they do not play a major role in the work, for example if texture does not play a role, it still has to be addressed you should say something along the line of; texture does not play an important role in the composition of the piece, [but if you do this, make sure the element/principle really does not apply]
4. INTERPRETATION Follow your analysis with a subjective interpretation of the meaning of the work. How does the work make you feel?  What do you think the content is? Go beyond “I like it” or “I don’t like it.”
5. RESEARCH the artist. Historical and biographical information on the artist often provides clues into a works context and its intended meaning.
6. VALUE JUDGEMENT. What do you think the artist’s intentions were?  Was this communicated?  Does it have value?  Can you recognize the aesthetic quality in the work?
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The following steps will help you write your paper.
Here is more of a guideline for approaching your paper. This is very similar to the process used by art critics. This is not an outline of your paper but you can use it if it helps. I hope it will help you think about the works of art you have selected in a more in-depth way.

A. Identification:
Note the title of the work, the date, the artist (if known), medium, and size.

B. Description: What do you see? As fully as possible, describe what you see.
– What medium is used? What is it made of?
– How big is it?
– Go into detail about what you see. Describe it as if you were helping a blind person “see” it.
How would you describe it to someone who had never seen it?
– What subjects are represented.
– It can be helpful to begin looking at a work of art from the middle and work your way out.
Identify the style: abstract, realistic, naturalistic, non-objective, surrealist, etc.; and explain why you feel this way.

C. Analysis: Describe the form of the work [15 terms worth 5 points each]
Explain how visual elements and principles of design are used in the work. The terms in chapters 2, 3 & 4 will be very helpful. Go back and look at the chapter outlines or Short Paper assignment. Use them to:
– Describe the use of visual elements such as line, shape, color & space etc. used in the pieces; all 15 elements/principles must be addressed.
For example: Balance: In what way is it balanced? Is it asymmetrical or symmetrical

D. Interpretation:  What is the content of the work? What does it mean?
What do you think the artist was trying to communicate? How does the artist accomplish this through the use of form? This is an important part of analyzing a work of art, how form and content work together.

E. Research: Include historical information about the artist. Knowing about the artist’s history can provide interesting insights into his/her work and how the work reflects the time and culture. This section is worth 70 of the possible 200 points, and demands more effort and research.  It is your responsibility to choose a work done by an artist you can find enough information on to meet the criteria in this section.

F. Value Judgment: Does the piece have any value or worth?, not monetary, address some of the following:
-What did you like about the work? Was it the form, content, or subject matter? Did it remind you of something that you have seen or experienced?
– How does it make you feel?
– How or why does it evoke these feelings?
– Rethink first description and go beyond “I like it” or “I don’t like it”
– What did the artist have in mind? Can you tell?
– Does the piece seem to have a certain level of insight into a subject matter?
– Is there enough interest to hold your attention?

This web site might also help well you organize your paper. http://www.aresearchguide.com/

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Documentation Guidelines
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I will accept CMS, APA, or MLA style.
I would prefer that you follow the examples and template I have provided for you, as before it makes it more simple and easier to execute.  Remember this is a paper, not a novel.

ESSAY WRITING ASSISTANCE from Columbia College is VERY useful.
http://www.ccis.edu/departments/WritingCenter/writing.html
The above site has all documentation information you will need. The site includes CMS, MLA, and APA documentation information, as well as help with grammar and punctuation, and basic essay information, which may help you organize your paper. Please take a look.

• What to document?
Anything that is not considered common knowledge (information that can be found in at least 4 sources).  This includes opinions, judgments, little known facts, direct quotes, and conclusionary statements. “Footnotes and Endnotes are used to give credit to sources of any material borrowed, summarized or paraphrased. They are intended to refer readers to the exact pages of the works listed in the Works Cited, References, or Bibliography section.”

Columbia College Writing Center: http://www.ccis.edu/departments/WritingCenter/writing.html

APA Citation Style: http://www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citapa.htm
– An easy to navigate site from Long Island University.

The Owl at Purdue provides excellent formatting and style guides.
APA: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
MLA: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/
Also: How to cite an informational plaque or an information card in MLA: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/18/
Name of the Museum/Building/Location (as a Corporate Author).  “Title of the Information Card.” Location of the Museum/Building/Location: Name of the Museum/Building/Location (now as publisher), Year (when the exhibit, building, or artifact was put up). Medium (in this case, something like pamphlet, plaque, or information brochure).

Any paper that is plagiarized will receive a “0.” Please review the Columbia College policy on plagiarism included in the syllabus.

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Grade Criteria
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Point distribution:
Introduction and Detailed Description – 20 points possible
Analysis of Form – 75 points possible [15 terms x 5 points each]
Interpretation of Content – 20 points possible
Biographical and Historical Research – 70 points possible
Value Judgment – 15 points possible
Final Grade – 200 possible points

*Each page of the paper is equal to 50 points, so if your paper is short I will have to deduct the appropriate number of points from the total
* you MUST include a picture of the painting you chose and it Must be on the Title Page, failure to do so will result in a deduction of 15 points from your total, I have to see the painting to be able to evaluate your analysis.

*Five points per day will be deducted for late papers.
*Failure to include your bibliography will result in a deduction of 10 points.
* sounds silly, but your name, first and last, MUST be on the paper [if not 10 points will be deducted from the total]
*if you follow the template I have provided, it makes it much easier for you and for me

Your papers will also be graded based on the following characteristics.
Characteristics of an “A” paper
1. Concrete and relevant terms used
2. Meaningful determinations based on insightful and personal observations
3. Superior analysis of theme / artwork
4. Clearly outstanding use of research and terminology

Characteristics of a “B” paper
1. Fluency, clarity, and accuracy of special vocabulary and use of terminology
2. Effective structure of theme and analysis of artwork
3. Full understanding of approach undertaken
4. Exposition of research in analytical manner

Characteristics of a “C” paper
1. Clarity and appropriate grammar usage and use of terminology
2. Reasonable organization of thesis
3. Competent use of references and research
4. Logical assumptions