Group Discussion Discussion Project: Deriving Meaning. Your Post due Wednesday, Replies to classmates are due Sunday
Posts due on Wednesday by 11:59PM, 4 Replies to Classmates are Due Sunday by 11:59PM
Assignment Goals:
In your readings from Chapters 1-4, you learned about the “nuts and bolts of art.” Chapter 3 described the different art media (what it’s made out of of) and art methods (how it’s made). In Chapter 4 you learned about how to derive meaning from an artwork. Let’s take some of this new knowledge and apply to your personal life experience in the field.
Instructions:
For this discussion, let’s evaluate what you learned from reading Chapters 1-4. Find (2) “Local” Artworks that you really really like and use the tools covered in the class so far to interpret the artwork. Don’t know where to find art in your life? See the prompt below for more detailed instructions.
Post Guidelines:
All the chapter readings so far have addressed what defines a work of art, the formal elements it an artwork’s specific design, the principles of the artwork’s composition, what and how the artwork was made (its media), and finally how we can derive meaning from a work of art. All of the chapters are interrelated to each other. For example, a work of art’s subject matter can relate to how it’s made ( as seen in 4.2 Tlaloc Vessel. 1440-1469.) Sometimes the way we experience or encounter a work of art adds to its meaning as is the case with 4.9 Olifar Eliasson’s very public The New York City Waterfalls, 2008. Other times the iconography of a work of art can let us know what it means as seen in the case of the 3.31 Arabic Graffiti, from Egypt, that in reads “Revolution is in our veins,” 2012.
But sometimes the meaning of an artwork is unclear without the proper context; as would be the case with 2.4 Paul Klee, Bounds of the Intellect, 1927. The visual iconography doesn’t necessarily tell us very much. The title is kind of hint in the right direction, but what the work “means” is still pretty unclear. This is where research comes into play. After typing the artist’s name, artwork title, and its date into Google I was able to discover that this painting was created while Paul Klee was instructor at the Bauhaus–A German Art School. Paul Klee was the son of a musicologist and he drew parallels between sound and art. The obsessively repetitive lines in in the lower part of Klees’s composition act as a visual representation of sound.
OK, It’s Time to Experience Some Art and Derive its Meaning.
Where to look:If you know of a public work of art that you have seen, on your normal daily commute, that you would like to discuss, feel free to choose this option. Art is everywhere; murals, sculptures, statues, urban art, it is all fine.
No Art nearby? No worries; many local museums have lists of their permanent collections of art. Here are a few locals:San Diego Museum of ArtLinks to an external site.
Museum of Contemporary Museum of ArtLinks to an external site.
Oceanside Museum of ArtLinks to an external site.
But don’t just limit your expectations of where art can be found to formal settings, like a gallery or museum. The links below are to places that art exists that aren’t in traditional museum spaces.Writerz BlokLinks to an external site.
Stuart Collection UCSDLinks to an external site.
Local Muralist: Hugo CrosthwaiteLinks to an external site.
The most important aspect of the art selections you make this week is choosing something you find fascinating. Art is all around you. Just remember to take a deep breath, and try to start to see the things around you in a new way.
How to Analyze Each Artwork:Your formal analysis, of the art you find, will rely on everything we’ve learned about so far in the class to help contextualize a work of art:
Chapter 1 covered how to define works of art in relation to what it is, its relationship to visual culture, and the artist who created it.
Chapter 2 examined how to identify the formal elements, principals of composition, and structural systems (when applicable) of an artwork.
Chapter 3 explored the different media from which artworks are made.
Chapter 4 explored the ways in which we can derive the meaning of a work of art.
Independent research; you will need to be able further your understanding and validate your initial attraction to each artwork through a little digging. Internet research is fine; there a a ton of great resources out there to help you derive the meaning of your choices this week. (BTW subreddits are not good places to find reliable information about art).
We’re going to borrow from the textbook and use this set of questions below to guide your analysis as it relates to CONTEXT.
Who is the artist?
What/How was the art made?
What is the title?
Does the title relate tot he content?
Part 1: Images of the Artworks:
Find 2 artworks you feel inspired by or surprised by after looking at the resources above. Provide an image of each artwork. Embed the image into the body of your post.
Wondering how to embed images? Watch this video:
Part 2: Written Analysis:
Your analysis of the work of art you find should be evaluated in an essay format. Remember you are trying to dig a little deeper than what is on the surface to further your understanding of the artworks you chose.
Choose two Local Artworks from the resource list above or find one on your own. Be considerate of the arts location….If it’s in a public space, the artwork is “site specific,” it has a relationship to the place that it is installed. How does your selected artwork, and how the artwork appears, related to the location where it is?
Include as much of the following information about the image in your essay:
Artist’s name (if you have it)
Title of work, date, size, medium, and subject matter (use some Chapter 3 terms)
Location of the art (city, neighborhood)
First glance (What caught your eye?)
How are the elements applied in the work? (use some Chapter 2 terms)
How does the overall composition relate a meaning and/or function to you? (use some Chapter 1 terms)
What is around the work (next to, behind, above, nearby, etc.)?
Your internet research. What did you learn about the artwork and the artist who made it?
What is your personal interpretation (this is required if other methods of research were lacking)? Did the research you did enhance the meaning? How do you feel about it (before and after the research)? (use some Chapter 4 terms)
Grammar:
The use of correct grammar is expected for all written material in this class; however I think that is essential that you write in a style that is conversational and that suits your personal voice. I fully support making sure that what you are writing sound like yourself. Just try to spend the time to be clear about the ideas you are trying to express. Make sure to include enough information to get your points across. I realize we live in a world of texts, emojis, and tweets and they are totally fine in other areas of your life, but in a college classroom, they just usually don’t provide enough information to fully explore ideas; so a little extra effort is a good idea. Here are some Guide to Group Discussion Posting and Replies
Peer Reply(s):
You must Reply to a minimum of (4 )of your classmates per week.
Peer Feedback Goals:
Make sure to respectfully comment on others’ choices while replying. Keep in mind that your personal reactions, to art, differ from other’s because reactions are subjective and based on your life experience; often we need more than one set of eyes to see the big picture.
In the “Reply” window to a peer’s contribution provide feedback on what they have submitted for the current week.
Reply Format
Deep Dives: You must meaningfully reply in detail, I call these “deep dives,” to two separate peers artwork (s). Use the following points when replying in a “deep dive:” These can be about 100-150 words each.
Complement: add to (something) in a way that enhances or improves upon what your peer(s) have contributed.
Connection: a relationship in which an idea is linked or associated with something else. Tell your peers how what they have shared is associated with an idea that comes from your own personal experience. How does it relate to your life and experience in this class?
Comment: a written remark expressing an opinion or reaction. This can be positive or negative, as long as your comments are respectful and empathetic to your peer’s writing.
Quotation: quotation(s) taken from a textbook or some other source are one of the best ways to validate a comment and solidify a connection. (You must always include citations) This just means that you are supporting your ideas with other facts from reliable sources.
You must to reply, in brief, to at least two other peer’s artworks. These “scratch the surface” comments can take the form of a simple sentence.
These can take the form of a superficial compliment, connection, or comment.
Group Discussion Assignment Grading and Assessment
Parameters
In order to earn full credit you must submit a total of 5 times per discussion assignment.(1) Personal Post that includes a properly embedded image of your current project(s)
(2) “Deep Dive” comments addressed to individual classmate’s projects.
(2) “Scratch the Surface” comments addressed to other classmate’s projects.
Grading
Please select the “more” icon in the upper right hand corner of this page to show the grading rubric for this assignment. If accessing this course by using the Canvas Student App, you will not see the icon. Instead, please use the menu to locate the rubric.
Deadlines
Initial post (your written project essay) is due by WEDNESDAY at 11:59 PM Pacific Time
Response postings should be completed no later than SATURDAY at 11:59 PM Pacific Time
Tips for Success:The key to a good discussion is interaction. Therefore, it is expected that you will log in and participate in the discussions on a minimum of two separate days per unit, but logging in more is encouraged.
Interaction is the key to a productive and meaningful discussion between you, your peers, and your instructor, so your goal and approach should be meaningful interaction rather than meeting minimum point requirements.
Please make sure that you are scrolling down and reading through all the submissions before replying. If you only reply to the top first two or three student’s posts that means they are getting a lot of feedback while other students are not getting any. Once a student has more than three replies, associated to the original post, move on and find someone else to reply to.
Please note that posting all, or the majority, of your replies on the last day of the discussion after 9:00 PM will be considered for point deduction since this greatly decreases the interaction and impact of your posts.
Grading Breakdown
This is a Group Discussion for the whole class. Participation in Class Discussions accounts for 30% of your overall grade in the class.
Your Post, which includes an embedded in progress image and self assessment is worth 50% of the possible points for this Discussion Assignment. (1 Post = 50% of grade)
The (2) “Deep Dive” peer responses combined with the (2) “Scratch the Surface” peer responses are worth 50% of the possible points for this Discussion Assignment. (4 Replies = 50% of grade)
FORMAL ANALYSIS [The table bellow describes terminology we have covered so far in the textbook reading(s)]