Arts And Ideas
You are required to view a contemporary, original piece of art in your area and compare/contrast it to an ancient work from your text, after analyzing both pieces. For example, if you choose a portrait of a leader, find one in your text; if you choose a building, like a church, find one in your text to compare.
Your paper should address the following:
Identification: Provide Identifying details for each work (10 points = 5 points for each work):
Artist: Who was the artist?
Title of the work: What is the title of the work?
Date: When was the work created?
Media: How/with what was the work created?
Location: Where is the work from your area displayed? For the work from your text, please also include the page number.
Description: What does each work look like? (100 points = 50 points for each work):
Describe the subject matter of each work, in detail. Imagine you are describing the work to a blind person; use that level of detail. For example, don’t just say there’s a house in a field.
Identify and discuss five formal elements of art (Choose from line, shape, color, texture, space, contrast, scale, balance, and emphasis) in detail, for each work. For instance, don’t just tell me there were lines in the work, tell me what kind (straight, curved, horizontal, diagonal, thick, thin, implied, etc.) and tell me how they affect the composition (lines dominate the left half of the work, etc.).
Compare and Contrast the two (2) works (70 points):
Compare and contrast the works (Do not compare the terms from part 2), and answer these questions in your analysis: How are the works similar and how are they different? Is the message or function the same? Is the intended audience different? Do they look alike or not? Has the meaning changed over time?
Also discuss such things as symbolism and purpose (aesthetic, social commentary, propaganda, etc.) and evaluate the effectiveness of the works.
Sample Solution
The artist I chose for this analysis is the contemporary artist, Jenny Holzer. The work of art I have chosen to analyze is her 1983 piece titled “Truisms”, a series of LED light signs that display various phrases and statements Holzer wrote herself. The piece was first installed in the lobby of an apartment building in New York City, but has since been shown all over the world (Holzer, 1983).
When compared to ancient works from our text, there are several striking similarities between Holzer’s work and those created by classical artists. Both “Truisms” and many ancient works contain motifs that reflect societal values or political issues of their respective time periods. For example, Holzer’s statement “ABUSE OF POWER COMES AS NO SURPRISE” reflects her views on power dynamics within society during the early 1980s when she created it (Holzer, 1983), while an ancient Greek vase depicts a battle scene between Athenians and Trojans around 700 B.C., reflecting the then-current political anxieties surrounding war (Benson et al., 2020). In both cases, we can see how artwork can be used to express current values or concerns at any given moment in history.
Similarly, both modern and ancient artworks can bring attention to topics that may otherwise go unnoticed or unaddressed. By writing direct yet poetic phrases onto public walls or structures with LEDs like she does with “Truisms,” Holzer brings a level of visibility to complex social issues that cannot always be expressed through conversation alone (Holzer, 1983). Ancient pieces such as sculptures also use visual symbolism to communicate ideas about religious values and beliefs which were not widely embraced by majority communities at the time they were created (Benson et al., 2020). Thus these two eras are united by artwork’s ability to challenge existing norms while providing an alternative form of communication for those who are often marginalized in society.
Despite certain similarities between contemporary artwork like “Truisms” and classical pieces from our textbooks however, there are also many differences worth noting between them as well. Unlike many classical works which feature gods or mythical figures as their central themes (“Theseus Slaying Minotaur: Attic Black-Figure Amphora” being one example Benson et al., 2020)), most contemporary art centers more around everyday life experiences such as identity politics instead (“In/Visible” painting by Titus Kaphar being one example Sheets & Shiner 2018)). Moreover while traditional artifacts typically used set mediums such as stone carving or paintbrushes in order to create their masterpieces (Benson et al., 2020), modern artists now make use of newer technologies such as digital projection mapping alongside traditional techniques (“The Dreamers” installation by Refik Anadol being one example Schofield 2017)). These types of advances help fuel creativity within today’s artistic landscape making it ever-changing landscape where anything is possible.
