The Work of Art
Art Portfolio Project
Due: Tues. Feb. 23rd
15% of overall grade
In order to give you as wide an exposure as possible to how art surrounds and influences our lives, you will have the opportunity to experience, analyze and reflect on three different categories of art and then present the work associated with those experiences in an art portfolio which includes your analysis, images and artifacts from the experience. The portfolio can take
CATEGORY A: VISUAL ART
Visit the Portland Art Museum and initially just browse through the galleries. Once you have had a chance to look at everything, choose two works of art, one from either the American or European galleries and one from the Asian or Native American galleries. Take a good quality picture/s of the work and using the guidelines and steps provided by Feldman include a written analysis of each piece. (2 to 3 pages)
CATEGORY B: PERFORMANCE ART
Attend one live performance of either music, dance, or theater. I have provided a number of links below which will help you locate worthwhile performances.
http://www.portland-theater.com/
http://www.portland5.com/events
http://www.whitebird.org/calendar/
Choose a performance from one of these links. If there is a performance that you would like to attend and it is not on these links, then you will need to get approval from me. Once you have attended the performance, write up a response/evaluation of the experience using the live performance guideline attached. (2 to 3 pages)
CATEGORY C: NORTHWEST FILM FESTIVAL
Portland is well known for its International Film Festival which basically runs the month of February. This is an excellent way to view film and cinematography that is outside the norm and often cutting edge. It is also an excellent way to experience vicariously other cultural realities. Below is the link which gives you all the information you need to know about the Northwest Film Festival.
http://festivals.nwfilm.org/piff37/
Please attend a film of your choice and write an analysis (not a summary) of that film. Here is a helpful link about how to approach the film. http://www.und.edu/instruct/cjacobs/FilmTheory&Analysis.htm
When watching a film, you need to look at the story line which includes the plot, the setting, the characters but also the use of such things as camera angle, editing, dialogue, acting and music. Write up a response/reflection on the film taking all of these things into account. (2 to 3 pages)
**If you face financial challenges in attending these events, let me know and I will see what I can do.
Feldman’s Art Analysis
Looking Analytically
1. Description
Describe only what you are reasonably sure of, making a complete and neutral inventory of subjects, shapes, colors, spaces, volumes. Be as specific as you can. Imagine that you are describing the work of art to someone who cannot see.
2. Analysis
Take one step further. Try to describe the relationships among the things that you see. In this stage you want to find out what the forms do to each other; the way forms are located, size relationships, shape relationships, color, textural and surface relationships, space and volume relationships.
3. Interpretation
This stage of art criticism is the most difficult, the most creative, and the most rewarding. It is the stage when you have to decide what all you earlier observations mean. An interpretation would be one that (a) makes sense out of the largest body of visual evidence drawn from a work of art and (b) makes the most meaningful connections between that work of art and the lives of the people who art looking at it.
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Judgment
Deciding the value of an art object. For many of us, deciding whether a work of art is worth serious attention is one of the most important problems of art criticism. The reasons for judging a work have to be based on a philosophy of art, not on someone’s personal authority. If you are resourceful, you can develop your own philosophy of art as a basis for judging the merit of any art work that interests you. Justifying your opinion about a work of art is important.
Source: Edmund Burke Feldman, Varieties of Visual Experience: Art as Image and Idea, 2nd Edition. Chapter 16, “The Critical Performance.” Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1971: 534-
Live Performance Reflection
Much can be gained from attending movies and viewing videos. However, the richness and depth of an experience is enhanced by attending a live performance. Your paper will be a critical and descriptive analysis in response to your experiences at a live performance. Please note that a live performance means you are there at the event - it does not include videos or recordings of performances.
*Note: You MUST provide proof of attendance to receive credit for this assignment and include this in your portfolio. Proof of attendance includes a stamped program along with a ticket stub. No other documents or photos will be accepted as proof of attendance.
Your paper must include:
1. A description of the history of the performance, noting when it was written and by whom, when and where it was first performed, and, if possible, a brief biographical sketch of the playwright, composer, choreographer, etc.
2. Describe using specific examples how the props and lighting were used as well as the effectiveness of each.
3. Discuss the quality of the performers or individuals you considered outstanding and why. Be sure to use specific examples from the performance.
4. Discuss the musical/vocal or movement qualities of the artists using detailed examples from the performance.
5. Describe the costuming and explain its appropriateness.
6. Your overall evaluation of the experience. What did you enjoy most about this performance? Why? How could the experience have been better for you? Why? (Discuss the experience as related to the performance - not in terms of the weather, car troubles, your date, or other unrelated issues.)
7. A Works Cited page for any outside sources consulted (for background information, history of the performance, etc.) The descriptions and evaluations should be entirely your own.
Film Analysis
Step 1
Watch the movie. Then watch it again. Take notes during the first viewing and, if you are analyzing a movie that is available on DVD, be ready with your remote control to pause and rewind.
Step 2
Stay inside the theater for the second or third showing with your notepad ready if this is possible. Writing an effective film analysis is best accomplished if you don’t have to rely on your memory of events, dialogue or cinematic techniques.
Step 3
Introduce the film and its major participants, such as the actors and director. Include the name of another technician on the film if your analysis will be focusing on that aspect. For instance, cite the name of the cinematographer if you are going to be writing about the importance of shadows to film noir, or include the name of the composer of the movie’s score if you are writing about the importance of background music to the emotional tone of the film.
Step 4
Provide a brief overview of the story, but avoid the temptation to pad your word count by writing what amounts to a synopsis of the story rather than analysis. Reveal plots twists or the ending of the film only if they relate directly to your analysis.
Step 5
Critically engage the movie so that you can effectively produce a strong essay. Focus on a single thematic concept related to the film. Ideas for essays taking this route could include an analysis of how the film is photographed, how the movie relates a historical event in a dramatic way without compromising the facts or how a single sequence within the film relates to larger cinematic concepts, like overlapping dialogue or the utilization of dramatic irony.