First Look When Analyzing Art You Should Look For
First Lookwhen Analyzing Art You Should Look For The Various Elements
First Look when analyzing art, you should look for the various elements to help determine its structure, meaning, and value. The traditional seven elements are as follows: Line, Shape, Space, Color, Value, Texture. The John Paul Getty Museum – Elements of Art and Robert J. McKnight Memorial – Alphabet of Art provide detailed insights into each element. In this activity, without conducting additional research, you are to explore your initial impressions of a work of art. This exercise aims to help you utilize formal vocabulary in describing artworks, analyze how subject matter and context influence interpretation, and develop a deeper understanding of visual elements in art.
You are required to select three works of American art from the first half of the 20th century from the provided list. For each selected artwork, provide the following:
1. List the artist, date, and title. Write a paragraph discussing the visual elements, such as whether the shapes are geometric or organic, the colors used, and how these elements work together based on the resources mentioned above.
2. Write a second paragraph describing the subject matter of the artwork. Consider what the artist might have been expressing and relate this to the time period when the artwork was created. Do not conduct research; your interpretation should be supported solely by your observation of the work and its historical context.
Your essay should be at least 250 words for each artwork, totaling no less than 750 words for all three. The selected artworks are:
- George Bellows, New York, 1911
- Georgia O’Keeffe, The Shelton with Sunspots, N.Y., 1926
- Charles Sheeler, American Landscape, 1930
- Alexandre Hogue, Erosion No. 2: Earth Mother Laid Bare, 1936
- Jacob Lawrence, Migration Series, No. 58, 1940-1941
- Willem de Kooning, Woman III, 1951-1953
- Jackson Pollock, Convergence, 1952
Ensure your submission is a single document and thoroughly addresses both visual analysis and interpretative discussion for each of the three selected artworks.