week 4

QUESTION 1: 300 words

Formal Analysis of Art of the Americas:

Tattooed warrior with war club, Nukahiva, Marquesas Islands

• Context:  Situate the artwork you have selected within the genre of art or type of art object to which it belongs or under which it is are best categorized. Give historical background for the object, situating it within the historical, social and/or religious context. 
• Formal Analysis:  Describe the particular elements of the selected work and explain how they function to communicate a particular meaning, convey a cultural message or theme, or express a specific emotion, feeling, or attitude.
• Interpretation:  Move beyond description in your analysis to your interpretation of the meaning and overall aesthetic affect of the work of art.

QUESTION 2:  300 words

Comparison Essay

Compare:   Waist pendant of a Queen Mother, from Benin Nigeria ca. 1520   - vs -

Ngady Amwaash mask, Kuba Democracti Republic of Congo late 19^th century

Comparison thesis statement: Begin your response with your comparison statement.  Explain in one declarative statement what is the thread tying your two images together.  What conclusion can you draw from what you observe or interpret about the works in question based on comparing and contrasting them?

• Description: Describe the each of the works briefly, focusing on important details with respect to elements of art and principles of design employed in their creation or production.
• Evidence:  Provide supporting evidence for your comparative thesis through discussing and explaining the various similarities and differences you find in the objects. These similarities and differences might be in terms of the stylistic or formal qualities, the media or materials used, the purpose or function of the artwork or artifact, the historical era of origin, the cultural or political context in which the work was produced, and so on.