Analyze This



Analyze This

This inventory is a “formal” analysis of how the artistic elements were handled and organized by the artist. It is important that during this analyzing phase, you don’t speculate on the meaning of the piece. Feel free to write or draw your answers.

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|INVESTIGATING THE ARTIST’S CULTURAL AND SOCIAL | |

|BACKGROUND—WHAT EVIDENCE IN THE ARTWORK DO YOU | |

|SEE OF THE ARTIST’S UPBRINGING? | |

|LOOKING AT HOW THE ARTIST USED THE ART ELEMENTS:| |

|COLOR: | |

|What colors do you see in the art? Use the most| |

|specific terms you can to describe the colors | |

|Do you see areas of contrasting colors? | |

|Where do the colors lead your eye? | |

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|Do the colors create a psychological effect or | |

|mood? | |

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|What connotations, associations or symbolic | |

|meanings might the colors have in this work? | |

|Would the effect of this work change if the | |

|colors were different? | |

|How do the values of the colors express meaning?| |

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|SHAPES: | |

|What shapes do you see? Are they organic or | |

|geometric? | |

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|How are the shapes arranged? Do they create a | |

|sense of order or disorder in their arrangement?| |

|Are the shapes in the piece realistic or | |

|abstract? | |

|LINE: | |

|Do the lines, shapes and space create | |

|meaning—look for overlapping relative size, | |

|position, linear perspective, etc. | |

|What kinds of movement do the lines create? | |

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|Which lines are emphasized and which seem to | |

|fade into the background? | |

|Do the lines create a sense of order or | |

|disorder? | |

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|Where do the lines lead your eye? | |

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|SPACE: | |

|How is the space divided in the picture? Along | |

|horizontal lines or vertical lines or both | |

|directions? | |

|Are there some spaces that seem empty and some | |

|spaces that look more detailed? | |

|Does the space seem balanced or unbalanced? | |

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|Where has the artist placed himself/herself in | |

|the space? Where is the artist’s point of view?| |

|TEXTURE: | |

|How has the technique used to paint the picture | |

|contributed to the sense of texture? | |

|How does the texture relate to the subject of | |

|the painting? Is it what you would expect for | |

|what you see depicted? | |

|Does the use of texture give a feeling—rough, | |

|smooth, watery, etc.? | |

|LOOKING AT TECHNIQUE: | |

|Are the brushstrokes visible? If so, what do | |

|they look like? | |

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|Are the marks and strokes the same everywhere? | |

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|Is the manner of stroking slow and meticulous or| |

|have they been put on in a quick painterly | |

|fashion? | |

|LOOKING AT HOW THE PIECE WAS MADE: | |

|What is the medium of the piece, and how does it| |

|affect the viewer’s impression? (For example, | |

|stone gives a sense of permanence and strength.)| |

|What was the purpose of the piece? In what | |

|setting was it originally placed? | |

|Is the piece a portrait of a person? What type | |

|of impression does it give of the subject? Is | |

|the pose strong or relaxed? Are there objects | |

|with the person? | |

|COMPARING THE STYLE AND STRUCTURE OF OTHER | |

|ARTWORKS: | |

|Does it belong to a particular movement, age, or| |

|school of thought? | |

|Could it be Impressionism? | |

|Characteristics: | |

|Subjectivity and self-expression. | |

|Painting as an “Event” – art is appreciated | |

|totally for itself | |

|Color bursts on canvas and dabbing vrush strokes| |

|blend into a unified emotional effect. | |

|Could it be Post Impressionism? | |

|Rejection of objective representation in favor | |

|of subjective expression. Perspective is | |

|subjective | |

|Intent: transfer to the canvas the world as they| |

|saw it—projecting their own unique depth | |

|perception. | |

|The familiar world is altered by emotion and the| |

|subjective experiences of light, bold colors and| |

|form. | |

|Could it be Abstractionism? | |

|What matters in a work of art is form: an | |

|arrangement of lines and color, existing for no | |

|purpose other than aesthetic experience | |

|Distills familiar world into pure shapes and | |

|forms | |

|Rationale belongs to the individual artist | |

|Conceptual – the idea is in the artist’s head. | |

|We may never figure out its true meaning | |

|Could it be Cubism? | |

|Artists deconstruct realistic details in their | |

|minds and reconstruct them into childlike | |

|blocks, reducing everything to cubes | |

|The world is made up of shapes and colors | |

|The eye is in continuous motion and observes | |

|continually shifting viewpoints | |

|The art of being human needs the spirit of | |

|children. Artists should retain their childhood| |

|delight in all things | |

|What artistic influences can be seen in the | |

|artist’s work? | |

|How does the art “work?” That is, what details | |

|in the piece are used to convey its meaning? | |

|DEFINING THE PURPOSE OF THE ART: | |

|Was it to record? | |

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|Was it to create beauty? | |

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|Was it to reveal truth? | |

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|Was it to encourage looking through a new lens? | |

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|Was it to meet the needs of the artist? | |

|Was it to protest injustice/raise social | |

|consciousness? | |

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|Was it to create order and harmony? | |

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|Was it to create chaos? | |

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|Was it to stimulate the intellect? | |

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|Was it to express religious values? | |

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Student Study Sheet #3

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