Assignment 1: Discussion Questions

By Week 5, Day 3, respond to the assigned discussion questions and submit your responses to the appropriate Discussion Area. Start reviewing and responding to your classmates as early in the week as possible.

Question 1:

Beginning in the 19th century, artistic movements carry the suffix “-ism” to their name (e.g. Realism, Impressionism, Expressionism).  Originally derived from Ancient Greek, “-isms” is appended to a word that then reflects a philosophical concept.  In the case of art, it comes to mean the philosophy or approach to art that binds a group of artists together. In 3 well-developed paragraphs select 3 “-isms” from the 19th and 20th century, a work of art that is representative of the -ism, and discuss:

1. What is the philosophy or approach to art that is defined by the –ism.
2. How is this philosophical underpinning of the style of movement visually reflected in your example?

Be sure to explain your ideas clearly and support them by discussing specific works of art that you have read about this week, talking about how they illustrate and support your ideas. Include an image of the work of art that is representative of the -ism in your response. 

Question 2:

The concept of creating art for art’s sake or its creation solely for a museum or gallery is purely a late 19th/20th/21st century concept.  As a result Modern Art often seems alien to many people—without content, a message or purpose.  But it can be argued that Modern Art visually reflects the complex and abstract ideas that we experience every day.  For example, if you were asked to paint how a lemon tastes, and not paint a lemon, how would you visualize the explosion of the juice as you bit into the slice? Its coolness? The tang and sharpness of the flavors?  Although Modern Art is not for everyone, it is often a key collection in many art museums.  As you consider the wide range of modern art types that are available to you, think of yourself actually visiting a modern art museum, and In 3 well-developed paragraphs discuss:

1. While you are visiting, what type of art will you most want to see and why?
2. What type will you put last on your list of “things to look for?”
3. Why do you feel that way?

Be sure to explain your ideas clearly and support them by discussing specific works of art that you have read about this week, talking about how they illustrate and support your ideas. Include the images of these specific works of art in your response. 

Respond to both questions as thoroughly as possible, making sure to use information from the readings and the lectures. All responses should be in complete sentence form, using proper spelling and grammar.

Discussion question responses should be at least a one-half, double-spaced page in length. Your responses to your peers’ writing should be at least a good paragraph in length for each question and should include specifics from the text or lecture.