Perez Art Museum Visitation Writing Paper

1. Your report should follow the guidelines stated under the Written Assignments  section of your syllabus. Your paper must be typed in a 10-12 point  font, double-spaced with margins that are no more than 1 inch.
2. If you don’t have Microsoft Word, save your file as a .txt, .pdf, or  .rtf file. Title your document with one word. For example, I might use  sarah1.doc.
3. Your report must be at least 700 words. You need a sketch for each section A-E.
4. Please make sure to turn in your own work. Use your own words, not  summaries of the descriptions of the artwork listed in the exhibit  brochure or displayed with the objects’ titles.
5. Also, this report is an individual project. It should not be done with other students.
6. Any papers that are plagiarized will be turned back to the student and an “F” grade will be given.
7. Make sure to upload your paper to the dropbox and read your  originality report. If your paper is above 5% copied (excluding quotes)  make the necessary changes before re-submitting it into the dropbox. For  more information on using the turnitin dropboxes in Blackboard and  understanding originality reports, click here.
8. Sketches should NOT be included when you upload your paper. They  should be scanned in and uploaded to the seperate Sketch dropbox or they  can be faxed to the number in the syllabus. Make sure your professor’s  name is on the cover sheet. The sketches can also be mailed to the  address in the syllabus.
9. If you have problems getting started writing your report, take a look at Questions You Should Think About When Looking at Art. DO NOT LIST THE QUESTIONS YOU HAVE. ANSWER THEM. 

Subject Matter (Content)

1. Is the work objective or non-objective art?
2. If the work is objective, what object(s) or event(s) does it show?
3. Does the title of the picture relate to it?
4. If an artist of today painted this picture, would it look the same? If not, how would it be different?
5. Is there are theme (main idea)? If so, have you seen this theme in other works? (Example: Love, Hate, War).

Color

What color is used most?

How many different colors have been used?

Is the general coloring in the painting strong/weak, bold/shy, primary/secondary, warm/cool?

Describe at least two examples of the artist’s use of color.

Do the colors tell the time of day or season?

Are there more light or more dark colors in the picture? Do the light areas or dark areas stand out most?

Does the artist use color to show distance?

Did the artist use color to make something in particular stand out? How? Why did the artist do this?

How do the colors affect the mood of the painting: sunny/stormy, happy/sad, shy/bold?

Line

What kinds of lines do you see in the picture, straight or curved?

Describe at least two examples of the artist’s use of line.

Are most of the lines in the picture vertical, horizontal, or diagonal?

Are the lines deep/bold or shallow/light, jagged/smooth, continuous/broken, moving/still?

Sometimes artists create imaginary line directions (lines not  actually drawn) in the direction a person is staring, talking, pointing,  etc. or by the formation of imaginary lines created by shape. Does this  picture have any imaginary lines?

Texture/Mass

Does the texture look: thick/thin, lush/sparse, bumpy/even, coarse/fine, hard/soft, light/heavy, rough/smooth? Why?

Do you see anything that would feel sharp, prickly, soft, slick, sticky, rippled, etc.?

Why did the artist use different textures for different things?

Does the artist use color or line to show texture for different things?

Describe the texture of the work in one specific object or area.

Describe the mass of one specific object or area.

Shape

Are most of the shapes organic (natural or curved) or geometric (angular or straight).

Is there a main focal area of the work? If so, what is it?

What shapes appear in the artwork?

What shape is repeated most in the picture?

Space/Perspective

Is the picture full or empty? What takes up most of the space in the picture… the subject matter or the background space?

How does the artist depict objects in the foreground: large/small, high/low, near/far. In the background?

Describe any perspective used in the work.

Balance

Is the picture symmetrical or asymmetrical?

Is the picture well balanced?

Is one side of the picture heavier than the other?

How did the artist balance the picture? Color, shape, line, space, repetition?

Is it even/uneven, equal/unequal, complete, incomplete?

Repetition

What elements do you see repeated in this picture? Color, line, shape, texture?

Does the repetition create movement in the picture: regular/irregular, flowing/halting, random/exact, rising/falling?

Part A. The Most Beautiful Object in the Museum

As you walk through the museum, you should seek the most beautiful  object you can find. When you have discovered it, stand or sit before it  for at least two minutes.

Try not at first to look at the “title” or other information  displayed with the object. Use your insight and imagination to  understand the art before you.
Think about what thoughts and questions are going through your mind  as you look at the object. Try to answer these questions in your paper;  don’t just list questions without answers.

Take notes that express your feelings and thoughts plainly and simply.

Make a 8 x 10 sketch of the object, including the important details.  (Do not worry about your artistic talent – I just want to see your  impression of what you saw.)

This part of the paper should include:

the name of the museum you visited.

the title of the work you selected, its artist, and the country the artist is from.

a detailed description of the work and why you selected it. (Use Questions You Should Think about When Looking at Art if you get stuck. However, do not list the questions in your paper. Answer them.)

the feelings the work aroused in you.

your 8×10 sketch, including the important details.

Part B. The Most Interesting Non-European/Non-North American Work of Art

Follow the directions for Part A. Make sure to list the country the artist is from. (Make sure to complete a sketch.)

Part C. The Most Disturbing Work of Art OR A Work of Art that You Disliked

Follow the directions for Part A. (Make sure to complete a sketch.)

Part D. 2 Paragraphs about a Special Exhibition

Please add a paragraph about a special exhibit at the museum. What  was the title of the exhibit? What was the purpose of the exhibit? Give a  general description of the artwork that is part of the exhibit.

In your second paragraph, select an object you feel is the most  significant of this particular exhibit. Make sure to include the title  of the piece, the artist, country of origin, a description and sketch,  and why you thought it was the most significant of the exhibit. (Make  sure to complete a sketch.)

Part E. What Would You Take Home

If you could take one work home, from anything in the museum, what  would you select and why? Describe the work you have selected. (Make  sure to complete a sketch.)

Part F: Follow These Procedures

Make sure your paper has a title.

If you have trouble writing your paper, go to Questions You Should Think about When Looking at Art. Please do not list the questions you are using. Just answer them.

Your paper must be typed in a 10-12 point font, double-spaced with margins that are no more than 1 inch.

If you don’t have Microsoft Word, save your file as a .txt, .pdf, or  .rtf file. Name your document with one word. For example, I might use  sarah1.doc.

Make sure to upload your paper to the dropbox and read your  originality report. If your paper is above 5% copied (excluding quotes)  make the necessary changes before re-submitting it into the dropbox. For  more information on using turnitin dropboxes inside of Blackboard