Midterm Art Analysis: This essay asks you to look at a work of art (painting, sculpture, poem, song, film etc.) that shows strong connections to African American cultural perspectives and analyze it using our four steps of art criticism found in the ‘Projects’ tab > Four Steps to Midterm Art Analysis.
Formatting: The Midterm Analysis must be 2-3 pages formatted, in MLA style (12 pt. Times New Roman with standard 1-inch margins) and include a bibliography of at least 3 sources.
Your Midterm Art Analysis is due Saturday, October 8th at 11:59 pm and must be submitted through Blackboard (Projects > Midterm Art Analysis). Further instructions will be available under the ‘Projects’ tab in Blackboard.
Step 1: Historical/Biographical Overview (15pts)
If you are writing about an artist:
Who is the artist and where are they from? (culture, race, ethnicity, family life, etc)
Provide background information on their influences and motivations. How did they get their start?
Who do they work with or for? (other artists, government, specific companies, self-employed, record labels, publishers).
What messages are they trying to express within their art? (summarize some of their main messages found in their body of work).
How does the artist connect with his/her race, ethnicity, culture or identity in their art? (cultural elements, messages, pride)
How has your selected artist had an influence on American culture?
Step 2: Medium (15pts)
What kind of art did they create? (murals, photography, music, etc)
What is its cultural significance? (types of instruments, use of language, symbolic color, elements of dance)
Where can this art be seen or performed? Is it public or private art?
What instruments and tools are used to create it? How has technology influenced this medium?
Who promoted it? (specific movement, culture or government) What significance does this medium hold today?
Provide a general understanding of the art form as a whole. How has it developed over time? What are some significant advancements in the medium? (technical evolution of film and video).
Step 3: Analysis (30pts)
Analyze one work of art from your selected artist by responding to the questions below.
1. Identify 2 formal principles of this work of art? (Elements or Principles)
2. Identify 2 cultural elements (symbols, language, values, norms) and define their meaning.
3. What is the message of this work of art? What is the artist trying to say and how does it interact with the social understanding of its viewers?
Step 4: Comparison/Evaluation (30pts)
Identify two social themes that are present in this work of art and explain their significance.
Show how your selected work compares to one work that we’ve talked about in class. Make your comparisons/connections based on the social themes that you identify. Clearly identify the themes in each selection and show how they compare to your artists selection.