Tech Talk Assignment: Analyzing and Interpreting Paintings - Prof. Kris Murray | Assignments Humanities

Tech Talk about Paintings—40pts

Assignment

Choose a painting from The Webmuseum (link to it from the HUM 210 Related

Sites page). Discuss the painting in terms of its design elements using the

vocabulary list below as well as the vocab we study in class. Also include your

interpretation of the painting. Use the writing examples below as a guide for

your own writing. Please make the vocabulary words that you use bold

when you type your paper.

This paper will be 2½ pages long, typed using 12 pt. font, with correct

grammar, spelling, sentence construction, and punctuation (see rubric

below).

Writing Examples (Brief Excerpts from)

Grant Wood’s The Perfectionist (A)

What I noticed first of all about The Perfectionist was the title and the pose of

the woman. I wondered why he thought that the woman was a perfectionist

and how I was supposed to figure that out. But as I looked at the details, I

saw lots of interesting ways Grant Wood used the elements of design to make

his painting embody the title……...

Then we see that contrast is used between the blue of the woman's dress

and the surrounding curtains, that is, contrast between the cool blue and the

warm beige. But Wood uses color and value to turn the woman's skin into

the color of the curtains. Next, Wood demonstrates his sense of balance by

putting the curtains on both sides of the woman. But they are placed very

close to her all around so that they sort of trap her in. There is also the

symmetry and repetition of the pattern in the curtains. Similarly, a

pattern is used in the woman's hairdo. A regular pattern is used in her blue

dress. Add to this, that use of the curtain color in the woman's skin and I got

an idea……..

The curtains represent how the woman is trapped in her perfectionism. The

contrast between her dress and collar are like the contrast between the

curtain, so the collar looks like it's choking her. Also variations of repeated

patterns from the curtain are used in the woman. They close in on her, they

color her, they (and her perfectionism) seem to almost torture the woman.

The look of her brow is more worried than scolding like you'd expect a

perfectionist to be. So at first I thought about how perfectionist people can be

so hard to live with, but after looking closer at Grant Wood's painting, I think

he's showing us how hard it is for people who are perfectionists to live with

themselves.

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Tech Talk about Paintings—40pts

Assignment Choose a painting from The Webmuseum (link to it from the HUM 210 Related Sites page). Discuss the painting in terms of its design elements using the vocabulary list below as well as the vocab we study in class. Also include your interpretation of the painting. Use the writing examples below as a guide for

your own writing. Please make the vocabulary words that you use bold

when you type your paper.

This paper will be 2½ pages long, typed using 12 pt. font, with correct grammar, spelling, sentence construction, and punctuation (see rubric below). Writing Examples (Brief Excerpts from) Grant Wood’s The Perfectionist (A) What I noticed first of all about The Perfectionist was the title and the pose of the woman. I wondered why he thought that the woman was a perfectionist and how I was supposed to figure that out. But as I looked at the details, I saw lots of interesting ways Grant Wood used the elements of design to make his painting embody the title……... Then we see that contrast is used between the blue of the woman's dress and the surrounding curtains, that is, contrast between the cool blue and the warm beige. But Wood uses color and value to turn the woman's skin into the color of the curtains. Next, Wood demonstrates his sense of balance by putting the curtains on both sides of the woman. But they are placed very close to her all around so that they sort of trap her in. There is also the symmetry and repetition of the pattern in the curtains. Similarly, a pattern is used in the woman's hairdo. A regular pattern is used in her blue dress. Add to this, that use of the curtain color in the woman's skin and I got an idea…….. The curtains represent how the woman is trapped in her perfectionism. The contrast between her dress and collar are like the contrast between the curtain, so the collar looks like it's choking her. Also variations of repeated patterns from the curtain are used in the woman. They close in on her, they color her, they (and her perfectionism) seem to almost torture the woman. The look of her brow is more worried than scolding like you'd expect a perfectionist to be. So at first I thought about how perfectionist people can be so hard to live with, but after looking closer at Grant Wood's painting, I think he's showing us how hard it is for people who are perfectionists to live with themselves.

Vincent Van Gogh’s Self Portrait (B) This painting by Vincent van Gogh is a very unusual portrait. It is almost startling the way the artist's face jumps out at the viewer. The warm colors of yellow and orange in the face contrast sharply with the cool background and jacket. One can’t help but look more closely at the face, with those warm colors. However, even though the yellow face with highlights of light green catches the viewer’s attention, the most arresting feature are the eyes. The color in his eyes links with the cool background color, which swirls in a rhythmic pattern very close to the head. They look directly out of the painting at the viewer, but from a sideways glance. This, along with the green highlights on the face, gives a threatening or cramped feeling. It is clear that that van Gogh used variations and contrasts in color, texture, and rhythm to make a complex statement about how satisfying, but scary, it might be for an artist to rebel against what's considered normal…. The knit of the heavy brow adds to a look that suggests strength or rebellion. This unusual choice of facial colors supports the idea that van Gogh is making a rebellious statement. But rebellion about what?…. As one moves the eye from the face, it will flow down the white path of the shirt to the artist's palette. The tactile textured dabs of paint on the palette seem like the most realistic parts of the painting. Perhaps it is in the world of art that van Gogh sees himself as a rebel. But instead of showing off about this, van Gogh seems nervous about it....

A balance achieved through the use of unequal parts or elements. Texture The surface quality of material, either actual (tactile) or visual. Contrast Use of opposites in close proximity (light and dark, rough and smooth, organic and geometric, etc.). Rhythm The regular repetition of particular forms or stresses such as line or shape/form Theme and Variation Some dominant design feature repeated with variations to give the work its dominant Character such as shapes or lines. Others —(notes from in class lectures)

Tech Talk Assignment: Analyzing and Interpreting Paintings - Prof. Kris Murray, Assignments of Humanities

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Download Tech Talk Assignment: Analyzing and Interpreting Paintings - Prof. Kris Murray and more Assignments Humanities in PDF only on Docsity!

Tech Talk about Paintings—40pts

your own writing. Please make the vocabulary words that you use bold

when you type your paper.