120 likes | 236 Views
Art Interpretation Circles. A “literature circle” teaching method for art objects by Summer Pennell.
E N D
Art Interpretation Circles A “literature circle” teaching method for art objects by Summer Pennell Alexander Calder, American, 1898-1976:Blue Sun, from Conspiracy: the Artist As Witness Portfolio: 1971. Lithograph. Ackland Art Museum, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Leonard Laufe, 81.40.1.3
Docent • Note- you will have a second role. • Responsible for leading the post-analysis discussion in your group. You will ask the Curator to begin, then you can decide who goes next. If you do not have a Curator, you may choose who goes first. • Make sure everyone has a chance to speak, and encourage input from everyone in a polite way.
Curator • As if you were preparing a summary of this art object for a museum catalogue, write down the vital information such as: • Artist Name (and any biographical information available) • Date of creation • Basic description of art object (ex. “Oil painting of two children in a garden…”) • Overall feeling or mood of the object • Next, decide how you would display this in an art museum. Would it be with other works made in the same medium? From the same time period? In a more thematic collection (mischievous children, sinister landscapes, etc.)? Think creatively about your answer, and write it down with a brief explanation to share with your group.
Composition Critic • Write down all of the elements of art you notice: line, shape, form, space, texture, value and color. • Write down all of the principles of design you notice: balance, emphasis, movement. • What do you identify as the primary design element and principle? What are the effects of both? • What do you identify as the secondary design element and principle? What are the effects of both?
Medium Master • What material(s) did the artist(s) use? Why do you think they made that choice? • What do you know about the process involved in using this medium? Be as detailed as possible. • In examining the artwork closely, is there any evidence of this medium and/or process? Examples: visible brushstrokes, pencil lines, etc.
Salon Host • Write 3-5 open-ended questions about the art object to facilitate discussion. • No questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no,” and no basic questions about the object (the Curator takes care of that). • Your questions may be about technique, subject, historical and cultural connections, etc. • You may also wish to ask speculative questions about the art piece.
Detail Detective • Choose 2-3 details (small elements of the art object) that stand out to you as important, interesting, or confusing. • Write a brief description of your detail (Ex. “figure in the center,” “dark square in the upper left corner”) so you can help your group members find it during discussion. • Write a short explanation of why you chose these details. What is your reaction to them? What feeling or mood do you get from them? • In the discussion, share these explanations with your group, and allow group members to discuss their own reactions to the details.
Connector • Connect the art object to your own experiences, pop culture, other art objects, novels or movies, world events, etc. • Note if this connection is a broad (related to the entire object) or narrow one (related to a detail of the object). • After your explanation, let the group comment on your connection(s), and make some of their own if time allows.
Symbol Searcher • Can you identify any symbols within the work? • Where are these elements located in the work? What do they look like? What about their representation led you to identify them as having symbolic meaning? • How does your analysis of these symbols relate to the artist’s biography, the time period, the artist’s nationality, etc.? • If your group has an Art Historian, you can work together on this part. • How do these symbols contribute to the overall meaning of the work?
Art Historian • Choose 1 or 2 topics to research that will help your group understand the art object in more depth (you may wish to work with the Symbol Searcher). • Using the art object and your groups’ interests as a guide, choose from these general topics: • Art movements of the time period (Impressionism, Cubism, etc.) • Politics (from the artist’s home country, or related to the object’s subject) • Social roles and norms • The artist’s biography