For Njosh

Most people think that artists have to go through strict formal education and training to know how to create art.  In reality, however, humans are creative by nature and many spectacular works of art were created by people with little or no art education and by using simple, every day materials. By developing new art terms, phrases, and concepts and staying curious about and engaged with what artists are trying to communicate, we are better prepared to appreciate, understand, and participate in art. This assignment will expose you to nontraditional and applied forms of art and the importance of key concepts of art critisim.

Choose a total of THREE (3) examples of nontraditional or applied art from the following links below:

• A New York art museum
• A Paris museum
• Select galleries in a Washington, DC museum
• A Boston Museum

Paste small images of all 3 works into a Word document. Include the following details about each work: 

• the title of each art work
• the artist (if known)
• the year made
• the materials used
• size of the work
• be sure to include a reference for each work, identifying the museum in which it was found 

Write  2 or 3 paragraphs for EACH work that addresses the following:

• Why is this art work considered “nontraditional”?
• What does the viewer see?
• What is the meaning of the art?
• What, if any, cultural perspectives and/or social connections are implied?
• What THREE (3) adjectives for each work express the meaning or overall feeling of the art and what is being communicated?

Part 2

For part 2 of the assignment, you will create a (1) painting, drawing, or mixed media piece with nontraditional art mediums or common materials found in your own home.  Consider the work of Vik Muniz, who painted the Mona Lisa out of peanut butter and jelly or Christine Hiebert, who uses painter's tape to ”draw” on the museum walls. Paste a photograph of your completed art piece into the Word document from Part 1. Write a reflection paragraph that shares the following information:

• What it felt like to “make art”.
• Explanation of the materials used and why those materials were selected.
• What were your overall impressions of the completed piece?
• Did you give the creation a title and what is the significance?

You can insert images into documents by placing the cursor where you want the image to be, going to “Insert,” then choosing “Picture,” and selecting the picture from your computer. Be sure to scan or photograph your art piece first and upload it to your computer. If using your phone camera, you may be able to e-mail the image to yourself and copy it from e-mail.

Submit 1 Word document for this assignment.

You are required to comply with APA style format for quotations, internal citations, and a reference list. For additional information and resources on APA style, visit the APA section of the Library, which is available under Library Features.

References

Freer and Sackler Galleries: The Smithsonian's Museums of Asian Art. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.asia.si.edu/

Louvre. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.louvre.fr/en

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.metmuseum.org/

Museum of Fine Arts Boston. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mfa.org/

Please submit your assignment.

For assistance with your assignment, please use your text, Web resources, and all course materials.

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