Reference no: EM133190516 , Length: Word count: 2 Page

East Tennessee State University Agunna of Oke Igbira Essay

Problem: This assignment asks you to look closely and carefully at a work of art made by a non-Western artist from any time period and to consider this work of art in the context of the geographical location and historical time period in which it was made. In order to complete this assignment successfully, you will need to focus your attention on ONE work of art made by a non-Western artist.

ART HISTORY: GLOBAL ARTS

This assignment asks you to look closely and carefully at a work of art made by a non-Western artist from any time period and to consider this work of art in the context of the geographical location and historical time period in which it was made. In order to complete this assignment successfully, you will need to focus your attention on ONE work of art made by a non-Western artist.

For this assignment, you are asked to write as an art historian, giving careful attention to the work of art as a material object and to its meaning in relation to the historical and social context in which it was made. Please include with your paper an illustration of the work of art you’re writing about.

Step 1: View online the collections, exhibits, and works of non-Western art available in your textbook and online. The following are examples of museum websites you may wish to browse:

• National Museum of African Art
• National Museum of American Indian Art
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Oceanic Art Collection

Select one work of art for this paper. Identify your chosen work of art by artist’s name or cultural background, title of the work of art, date the work of art was made, and medium (or mediums) used.

Step 2: Set a timer and CAREFULLY look at your selected work of art for a minimum of 3 minutes.

• Take notes on your observations. What are the materials? List them. What are your immediate reactions? Why did you select this work of art? What do you begin to notice over the short time period? What do you see at the end of 3 minutes that you did not notice before?

Step 3: Consider the historical context.

• What is the time period in which this work was made? What is the cultural background of the artist/maker? What is the content/subject matter of this work of art? Does this work have a specific function? What are the larger social, political, and/or environmental events of the time period that may be informing the subject of this work of art?

Step 4: Imagery, materials, and formal elements.

• How did the artist use materials and is there a specific reason why certain materials were used? How did the artist use imagery and symbolism? How did the artist use formal elements - line, shape and space, color, light and dark, texture, balance, composition, scale?How did the artist handle the materials used?

Step 5: Analysis

• How do the visual imagery, materials utilized, and formal elements give meaning to the work? How do you understand the style, imagery, and meaning of this work of art in relation to its historical and social context? How might viewing this work in person impact ways you understand this work? Why did you choose to write about this particular work of art?