In what specific ways is our understanding of a work of art dependent

Hello, due to a family hardship, I need help with these assignments in my History of Art from Middle Ages to Modern Times | HUM1002 S01 class.

This week we have studied art that is produced by cultures very different from our own.  Without a cultural frame of reference it is often challenging for us to gain an understanding or even an appreciation of a work of art that reflects a visual aesthetic that is different.  In 3 well developed paragraphs, discuss:

1. In what specific ways is our understanding of a work of art dependent on an understanding of the religious and cultural beliefs from which the work arose?
2. What can we assume about a work of art without such knowledge?
3. Looking at a work of art such as the Taj Mahal, which is the world’s most recognized building, how does not knowing the story or context for its construction shape our perception of this as a master work of art?  How does your perception change of this structure once you know the story and reasons for its construction?

Be sure to explain your ideas clearly and support them by discussing specific works of art that you have read about this week, talking about how they illustrate and support your ideas.

Question 2:

All of the cultures that we have looked at this week built architectural monuments, but few have survived intact.  Often these monuments embody the social, spiritual, political and religious ideas of the culture that created it. One of the few to have survived is the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. In 3 well developed paragraphs, discuss:

1. What was the function of the Forbidden City?
2. How was it designed to reflect the social hierarchies of the Ming dynasty?
3. What other monumental work of architecture did you learn about this week that also reflects these concerns and how?

Be sure to explain your ideas clearly and support them by discussing specific works of art that you have read about this week, talking about how they illustrate and support your ideas.

Respond to both questions as thoroughly as possible, making sure to use information from the readings and the lectures. All responses should be in complete sentence form, using proper spelling and grammar.

Discussion question responses should be at least a one-half, double-spaced page in length. Your responses to your peers’ writing should be at least a good paragraph in length for each question and should include specifics from the text or lecture.

As soon as possible, review and comment on the work of four of your peers and the instructor. In your comments, consider areas you would suggest for expansion or clarification. Is there need for defense of a point of view or refinement in thought? Use constructive language. Your goal is to work with your peers towards positive interactions. This is aided by explicit comments and positively stated criticism.

 

2/2 You likely noticed that during the three hundred years covered in this week’s study that religious art remained quite important just as it had been in earlier “art ages.” There were monumental changes, however, in the way the religious subjects were depicted.

(Due 6/18/2016 before 2am) Use the textbook and/or online sources to locate and capture three works of religious art. All three pieces should be dealing with the same subject matter— for example, the Crucifixion, mother and child, or the Last Supper. Capture one image from each:

• the Early Renaissance period
• the High Renaissance period
• the Baroque period

Your works of art must either be all paintings or all sculptures. (Do not use the three David sculptures from Assignment 1 as your comparisons.)

Place these images in a Word document. Then do the following:

1. Identify each image with the following information:
   1. Name of the artist
   2. Title of the work
   3. Date of the work
   4. Medium/materials used to create the work
   5. Current location
2. In a well-developed paragraph (4–6 sentences) for each:

1. One to two important historical facts about each piece.
2. Describe and analyze how the artist has used at least one of the artistic elements, such as color, composition, or use of light, supporting your observation using vocabulary from this week’s reading. You should focus on the same element for all 3 works.

1. In a 6–10-sentence concluding paragraph(s) discuss specifically how religious art has changed compared to each period and geographical region, and what may have been influencing factors behind these changes.

1. How has religious art changed compared to each, based on your observations as to how each artist used the art element you have focused on exploring?
2. What events in history may have been influencing factors behind these changes, and why?
3. Offer a citation of your sources for each image and the information provided as appropriate.

4/1 Question 1: (due 6/19/2016 before 2am)

We have continued our study of the art created by cultures outside of the West.  Like those we studied last week, many of the cultures studied this week also created monumental works of architecture, but often for very different reasons than what we saw last week.  In 3 well-developed paragraphs locate 2 specific examples of monumental architecture created by 2 different cultures we studied this week and discuss:

1. Why do you believe each culture undertook the creation of your selected monumental work of architecture and sculpture despite the difficulties of accomplishing them? What can we assume about a work of art without such knowledge?
2. How do the reasons for their works compare with those of a more modern example of monumental art work, such as Mount Rushmore, the 9/11 Memorial, etc.?

Be sure to explain your ideas clearly and support them by discussing specific works of art that you have read about this week, talking about how they illustrate and support your ideas.

Question 2:

The tradition of mask-making and masquerade can be found the world over, but no place is it as pervasive, diverse and rich as found in the traditional arts of West and Central Africa.  Although these masks are often seen as works of art in the West, they typically were not intended to be a work of art.  Interestingly, in many African societies there is not a word for “art.” In 3 well-developed paragraphs select 3 different traditional African masks, each from a different African society.  Discuss:

1. How is the mask used and what is its purpose?
2. Does putting the mask on display in some place like an art museum or gallery change what you think of it?

Be sure to explain your ideas clearly and support them by discussing specific works of art that you have read about this week, talking about how they illustrate and support your ideas.

Respond to both questions as thoroughly as possible, making sure to use information from the readings and the lectures. All responses should be in complete sentence form, using proper spelling and grammar.

Discussion question responses should be at least a one-half, double-spaced page in length. Your responses to your peers’ writing should be at least a good paragraph in length for each question and should include specifics from the text or lecture.

As soon as possible, review and comment on the work of two of your peers. In your comments, consider areas you would suggest for expansion or clarification. Is there need for defense of a point of view or refinement in thought? Use constructive language. Your goal is to work with your peers towards positive interactions. This is aided by explicit comments and positively stated criticism.

4/2 All of the indigenous cultures that we have explored this week were at one time “discovered” by European explorers who often collected traditional art objects to take back with them to Europe as “curiosities.”  These objets d’art inspired collectors and artists alike and opened the Western world up to new ideas, new cultures, and new art forms.

This is part 2 of a two-part assignment and spans Week 3 and 4.  Imagine that you are one of these intrepid European explorers who has set out to discover and collect the traditional art forms created by the five cultures we have learned about this week.

• The Americas: North, Central, and South
• The Pacific Rim
• Sub-Saharan Africa

As you travel and collect two works created by the indigenous cultures from each of these regions.  You will collect:

• 2 traditional works of art representing 2 different cultures indigenous to North America
• 2 traditional works of art representing 2 different cultures indigenous to Central America
• 2 traditional works of art representing 2 different cultures indigenous to South America
• 2 traditional works of art representing 2 different cultures indigenous to the Pacific
• 2 traditional works of art representing 2 different cultures indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa

As you “travel” and collect two works from your five cultures, you need to document some important field notes that will help you to explain what these treasures are upon your return home.  These field notes need to include for each object:

1. Name of the culture that produced the object
2. Title or name of the object
3. Date of the object
4. Medium/materials used to create the object
5. Current location

Assignment Instructions

1. Using the textbook and Internet sources, locate 2 traditional works of art from each of your 5 cultures/areas. Label the following in a document:
   1. Name of the artist (if known—otherwise, attribute the culture)
   2. Title of the work
   3. Date of the work
   4. Medium/materials used to create the work
   5. Current location
2. Capture the image of each example and place it in the document. Once you have done this, examine each object carefully.
3. Use your textbook to find out as much as you can about cultural context for each object. Go online and find some reference sources to provide you with more information.
4. Use the document to help you to organize your thoughts and research for each object. Thoroughly explain and analyze:
   1. What each object is.
   2. Why is it culturally important.
   3. How you think your European friends back home will react to each object, and why.
   4. Offer a citation of your sources for each image and the information provided as appropriate.

5/1 Question 1: (due 6/25/2016 before 2am)

Beginning in the 19th century, artistic movements carry the suffix “-ism” to their name (e.g. Realism, Impressionism, Expressionism).  Originally derived from Ancient Greek, “-isms” is appended to a word that then reflects a philosophical concept.  In the case of art, it comes to mean the philosophy or approach to art that binds a group of artists together. In 3 well-developed paragraphs select 3 “-isms” from the 19th and 20th century, a work of art that is representative of the -ism, and discuss:

1. What is the philosophy or approach to art that is defined by the –ism.
2. How is this philosophical underpinning of the style of movement visually reflected in your example?

Be sure to explain your ideas clearly and support them by discussing specific works of art that you have read about this week, talking about how they illustrate and support your ideas. Include an image of the work of art that is representative of the -ism in your response.

Question 2:

The concept of creating art for art’s sake or its creation solely for a museum or gallery is purely a late 19th/20th/21st century concept.  As a result Modern Art often seems alien to many people—without content, a message or purpose.  But it can be argued that Modern Art visually reflects the complex and abstract ideas that we experience every day.  For example, if you were asked to paint how a lemon tastes, and not paint a lemon, how would you visualize the explosion of the juice as you bit into the slice? Its coolness? The tang and sharpness of the flavors?  Although Modern Art is not for everyone, it is often a key collection in many art museums.  As you consider the wide range of modern art types that are available to you, think of yourself actually visiting a modern art museum, and In 3 well-developed paragraphs discuss:

1. While you are visiting, what type of art will you most want to see and why?
2. What type will you put last on your list of “things to look for?”
3. Why do you feel that way?

Be sure to explain your ideas clearly and support them by discussing specific works of art that you have read about this week, talking about how they illustrate and support your ideas. Include the images of these specific works of art in your response.

5/2 (due 6/28/2016 before 2am) Assume you have been given the ability to travel back in time, and you are about to set off on a trip to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The purpose of your trip is to give you the opportunity to visit artists in their studios and to view firsthand the creation of some specific types of paintings or sculpture.

Since the length of time you can spend on this journey is limited, you must decide beforehand what styles you are most interested in. The job you will have is to collect information concerning four (4) different styles—one from each time period listed below—as represented by two artists from each. You may choose from the following:

The eighteenth century Rococo Romantic (painting or sculpture) Neoclassical	The nineteenth century Naturalistic or realistic style in either Europe or North America Impressionistic Post-impressionistic
First half of the 20th century (1900 – 1954) Cubism Fauvism Expressionism Surrealism	Second half of the 20th century/21st century (1945 to present) Abstract Expressionism Minimalism Pop Art Digital Art Post-Modernism

Before you set out, you should have decided on the four styles that interest you, have determined specific artists you wish to visit, and come up with questions for which you wish to find answers. When you return, you will need to prepare a report that includes the following for each of the four styles you chose, as represented by two artists from each style:

Name of the artist

Title of the work of art

Date of the work of art

Medium or materials used to create the work of art

Then in 2–4 paragraphs, tell us:

• The style of the work
• Reasons for the style to have gained popularity
• Specific features of the style
• 1-2 reasons why the work of art is important to the history of art

Your report should conclude with an explanation about which style you find most interesting.