Introduction
In order to think critically about art, and craft a well-reasoned response to a work of art, you must do more than simply be aware of your own preferences. In fact, relying too much on your own preferences can actually be an obstacle to approaching a work of art critically. Author Richard W. Paul describes the distinction and difficulty very successfully, and I will defer to his description:
Now most people prefer books, television programs, and types of music for fundamentally subjective, not objective, reasons. They like a particular book, television program, or song for no reason other than that they like it, that is, because they enjoy it or find pleasure in it or are interested or absorbed or excited or amused by it. Their reasons for liking what they like are not the result of an objective evaluation. They have no relation to the objective quality of what is judged. They are about the personal responses of the experiencer, not about the objective qualities of that which is experienced.
Most people, to take the point a step further, do not have “evidence” — other than the stuff of their subjective reactions — to justify their preferences. They prefer because of the way they feel not because of the way they reason. To choose because of these subjective states of feeling is precisely to lack criteria of evaluation or evidence that bears upon objective assessment. When challenged to support subjective preferences, people usually can do little more than repeat their subjective reactions (“I find it boring, amusing, exciting, dull, interesting, etc.”) or rationalize them (“I find it exciting because it has a lot of action in it.”)
A reasoned evaluation of a book, a program, or a type of music requires more than this; it requires some knowledge of the qualities of what we are evaluating and of the criteria appropriate to the evaluation of those qualities. One needs to be well informed about books, about programs, about music if one is to claim to be in a position to objectively evaluate them. If one is not well informed, one is unable to render a justified evaluative judgment, though one can always subjectively react and freely express one’s subjective reactions as (mere) personal preferences.
You are required to approach works of art critically in ARTS 104. After successfully completing this course, you will have much experience reacting to art critically. This assignment is our first step toward that goal.
Short Description
You will visit the Walters Art Museum and chose 3 works of art. These works must originate in different cultures. You will then research these works and create and share one PowerPoint presentation regarding your research on these 3 works. Your research will focus on how the works of art relate to their respective cultures.
Rationale
This assignment provides you with an opportunity to think critically about art and culture, expand your ability to appreciate art, practice your research skills, and exercise your oral and written communication skills.
Directions
Visit the Walters Art Museum
The Walters Art Museum hosts various temporary exhibitions and theatrical events. The permanent collection includes works from Ancient Egypt, India, Nepal, Ethiopia, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Renaissance Europe, Baroque Europe, South Arabia, Ancient America, and the Ancient Near East. The museum also features the Hackerman House, a preserved Greek Revival Mansion built in Baltimore in 1850.
While visiting, take notes on various works. Be sure to record the artist’s name, the culture or period, the date the work was created, and the original provenance (where the work was originally located).
Choose 3 works of art to research. The works you select must be from different cultures. Again, try to avoid simply reacting based on what you like or dislike, as this will not provide you with the best critical thinking opportunity. Instead, choose 3 works that are likely to stimulate your intellectual curiosity.
Conduct research on your chosen works
After your museum visit, conduct research. To get yourself started, consider the following questions:
- How did the culture use the work of art? What was its function?
- How did the culture evaluate this work? What standards and criteria would the culture to use to decide whether or not the work was successful?
- What culturally specific symbols, beliefs, norms, practices, or perspectives must one understand to fully comprehend the work of art?
The Walters Art Museum website provides extensive information. But, you might also research using more than the museum website. You could utilize scholarly (peer reviewed) sources, which are very easily found when searching CCBC subscribed academic databases. You might also utilize credible popular audience websites. Credible websites are defined in this course as websites authored by reputable individuals or institutions, such as the Smithsonian website, or an online newspaper article authored by an authority in their field. As the term reputable is vague, your instructor is available for consultation on such sources. Do not use anonymously authored websites such as Wikipedia. You must also utilize a physical source, such as a book or article, which is not accessed by a database.
Remember to cite any quotes, ideas, or facts in MLA format.
Create a PowerPoint presentation
Assemble images of your 3 chosen works in a PowerPoint presentation. Images of the Walters Art Museum collection are available for download on the museum’s website. Label each image with the work’s title, the artist’s name, the date of creation, and the materials used to make the work.
After each image, include 3 bulleted lists in complete sentences. Use this text to explain the work’s original function, evaluation standards, and cultural context.
Don’t forget to edit and proofread your writing. When writing about art, word choice is often particularly difficult. Utilize your text, a glossary, or a thesaurus to hone your choices. Avoid vague terms. For example, “nice color” is too vague. In contrast, “highly saturated primary color” is specific and descriptive
You’ll present your slide show to the class. Prepare a digital version of your presentation on a standard usb flash drive or cd.
Assignments are not accepted via email.
