Category: Art

Choose one of the themes below and discuss how it has affected popular music from the 1950s through the 1990s. You will need to provide multiple examples related to your chosen theme from each decade.
1- Critical Listening – Focus on stylistic elements of popular music genres and how these musical elements have evolved over time. How have musical genres borrowed different elements from each other? How have song forms, instrumentation, melodies/rhythms, timbre, and the lyrical content of popular music evolved throughout our course? You should cite and compare multiple audio examples from each unit to address this topic.
2- Music and Identity – How has popular music been shaped by individual and group identity throughout our course? How does music in turn reflect these ideas surrounding identity? Issues such as race, social structure, age, gender, fashion/trends, and politics should be addressed. How does music shape your personal identity?
3- Music and Technology – How has technology affected our popular music evolution? You may consider both the technology of creating/performing music as well as the technology for distributing, receiving, and consuming music.
4- The Music Business– What role has the music business played in affecting our popular music development? How has it changed, how has it stayed the same, what are some of the issues it has struggled with. Some ideas to consider are music genre creation, marketing, cross-promotion, copyright/licensing laws, and racial segregation.
5- Centers and Peripheries – This topic refers to the relationship between “mainstream” culture and its tendency to absorb cultural practices and styles that originate in minority communities. What are the primary centers of music production and why? Why do musical styles shift from the peripheries of society to the center or “mainstream” and what happens to the music when they do?
Your paper should be 7 pages (double-spaced, standard tabs) and include clearly organized paragraphs of content that move the reader chronologically through the decades with regards to your chosen thematic topic. You should only need to refer to the content from this course, but if you use any outside sources, please cite those sources at the end of your paper.

You are required to write a 7-page (double-spaced, standard tabs) research paper about a musical culture NOT covered in this course. Areas covered in this course include India, Indonesia, Japan, Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, so you can choose any part of the world OTHER than these. Some areas to consider are: Native America, Polynesia, Australia, China, Korea, Ireland, Portugal, Greece, Arctic Circle…. wherever, as long as it’s not covered in our course.
For this assignment, please use Nettl’s 3-part model, addressed in “Unit 1: Introduction” and Chapter 1 in our textbook. Focus on the Sounds, Behaviors and Ideas or Conceptions that govern the sounds and behaviors of the musical genre/activity you choose. It’s best if you stick to a specific genre or ensemble from whatever region you choose for this research paper. For example, if you wanted to write about music from Spain, don’t try to summarize all Spanish music (too broad, too big) but pick a specific genre or activity to focus on, such as Flamenco. Want to research Hawaiian music? Stick to hula or string bands. The point is, focus on one genre or activity from a region and give in-depth details, not just a broad, surface cultural overview.
Sound:
What sounds are you hearing? Talk about the instruments (and voices) of the musical genre/activity. What are they made of and what do they sound like? Are there any rules or restrictions surrounding these instruments, like who can play or when one can play? Can you comment on the texture and form of the music? Texture refers to layers of activity. How many musicians are present and how do they relate to one another? Form refers to how the music is organized and presented,. How long does a performance last and how are the melodies and rhythms arranged. Lastly, what does the music sound like to you, the outsider?
Behaviors:
What activities are associated with this musical genre/activity? What are people doing while this musical activity is happening? Is there a specific purpose or function surrounding this music, or is it just for enjoyment/entertainment? Does this musical activity have any behavioral restrictions regarding religion, age or gender? Is everyone participating communally or are the musicians/singers/dancers presenting music to an audience…. why? Lastly, can you draw any connections to musical behaviors in your life or culture?
Ideas/Conceptions:
What ideas or conceptions govern the sounds and behaviors of your chosen musical genre/activity? Why are people creating this music and why are people participating? Address ideas surrounding history, culture and musical evolution. Most musical genres throughout the world express indigenous and foreign, or outsider aspects. What traits are uniquely regional, or indigenous, and what traits are coming from an outside influence and why? Again, almost all music has a combination of both! How have politics, religion or human migration affected this musical genre/activity? Lastly, can you relate what you learned to your own life experiences?

Field Assignment: Where to Go
Many arts organizations have launched new online platforms and expanded their virtual collections during the last several years. You definitely have options if you would like to “visit” a museum virtually for your final assignment.
However, I encourage you to visit a museum in person for your field assignment if that is feasible for you! I have included some information for you in this module listing what is currently available.
You are welcome to base your assignment on your experience at a different museum that features modern art if you have been traveling or if you are located in a different community.
I recommend going to the new La Jolla branch of the MCASD if you haven’t already done so: (https://mcasd.org/) Links to an external site.It recently was expanded and renovated and the new space is really incredible. The San Diego Museum of Art (https://www.sdmart.org/Links to an external site.) and the Oceanside Museum of Art (https://oma-online.org/Links to an external site.) are also open and have wonderful collections. The Balboa Park Sculpture Garden next to SDMA is open to the public and a free option where you can find some examples of Modern art (https://www.sdmart.org/may-s-marcy-sculpture-garden/Links to an external site.). Some really powerful contemporary photography is on view at MOPA: https://mopa.org/Links to an external site.
The Timken Museum is free to visit and has a small but wonderful collection.
Be sure to bring your student ID if you go to a museum! The San Diego Museum of Art is now free to college students. Other museums will have a student discount. Galleries are free to visit but tend to have limited hours.
Assignment Instructions:
For your essay, you will once again be comparing and contrasting the work of two artists. This time you will pick a work of art that you discover at a museum or gallery (either online or in person) and compare and contrast it with another work of art that you have studied in this class. You may select any artist that has been included in your textbook or in previous discussion boards to compare and contrast with the artist you choose to research from your museum visit.
You have written a comparison essay in this class before so you should have some insight into the process.
Some things to consider:
How do the works of the two artists relate?
What stylistic similarities and differences can you identify?
What ideas do you see expressed in their artwork?
Can you relate their works to art movements you’ve studied in this class?
How does the artwork reflect the time period in which the artists lived?
Just do your best! This is simply an opportunity for you to revisit the work of an artist that you’ve learned about this semester and relate it to something new you discover. I encourage you to also reflect on your own experience visiting a museum (virtually or in person) in this essay.
Your essay should be about three pages (double-spaced in MLA format) and must include a works cited! Be sure that you cite your sources and don’t just copy and paste from online sources as your work will be flagged for plagiarism. If you notice that it is a high match, please revise your work and resubmit so that you don’t lose points. I want to read your ideas about the artwork as well as the results of your research!
Field Assignment: Where to Go
Many arts organizations have launched new online platforms and expanded their virtual collections during the last several years. You definitely have options if you would like to “visit” a museum virtually for your final assignment.
However, I encourage you to visit a museum in person for your field assignment if that is feasible for you! I have included some information for you in this module listing what is currently available.
You are welcome to base your assignment on your experience at a different museum that features modern art if you have been traveling or if you are located in a different community.
I recommend going to the new La Jolla branch of the MCASD if you haven’t already done so: (https://mcasd.org/) Links to an external site.It recently was expanded and renovated and the new space is really incredible. The San Diego Museum of Art (https://www.sdmart.org/Links to an external site.) and the Oceanside Museum of Art (https://oma-online.org/Links to an external site.) are also open and have wonderful collections. The Balboa Park Sculpture Garden next to SDMA is open to the public and a free option where you can find some examples of Modern art (https://www.sdmart.org/may-s-marcy-sculpture-garden/Links to an external site.). Some really powerful contemporary photography is on view at MOPA: https://mopa.org/Links to an external site.
The Timken Museum is free to visit and has a small but wonderful collection.
Be sure to bring your student ID if you go to a museum! The San Diego Museum of Art is now free to college students. Other museums will have a student discount. Galleries are free to visit but tend to have limited hours.
Assignment Instructions:
For your essay, you will once again be comparing and contrasting the work of two artists. This time you will pick a work of art that you discover at a museum or gallery (either online or in person) and compare and contrast it with another work of art that you have studied in this class. You may select any artist that has been included in your textbook or in previous discussion boards to compare and contrast with the artist you choose to research from your museum visit.
You have written a comparison essay in this class before so you should have some insight into the process.
Some things to consider:
How do the works of the two artists relate?
What stylistic similarities and differences can you identify?
What ideas do you see expressed in their artwork?
Can you relate their works to art movements you’ve studied in this class?
How does the artwork reflect the time period in which the artists lived?
Just do your best! This is simply an opportunity for you to revisit the work of an artist that you’ve learned about this semester and relate it to something new you discover. I encourage you to also reflect on your own experience visiting a museum (virtually or in person) in this essay.
Your essay should be about three pages (double-spaced in MLA format) and must include a works cited! Be sure that you cite your sources and don’t just copy and paste from online sources as your work will be flagged for plagiarism. If you notice that it is a high match, please revise your work and resubmit so that you don’t lose points. I want to read your ideas about the artwork as well as the results of your research!

In this discussion board, I’d like you to think about the topics, historical figures and events, and primary sources we covered in this class. What topic, person, primary source selection, or idea did you find most interesting, unusual, surprising, and why? This could be anything. Perhaps a particular historical or fictional person caught your interest. Maybe you found one story, artwork, or philosophical concept particularly compelling. Choose one aspect of anything you came across and expand on your thoughts about it.
Your topic is completely up to you. Just keep it positive. You can objectively critique a story, or a historical figure’s actions, but this is not the place to discuss what you may have disliked.
Your essay will be graded on the following:
quality of ideas
written in grammatically correct prose
Word count: must be at least 300 words (It can be longer if you want.) Word count is not arbitrary. It is meant to help you expand on your ideas.
Your essay should focus on your own opinion regarding the question. You do not need to do any research.
Technical stuff:
Write your essay in software like Microsoft Word for PC or MAC.
Make sure your file is .doc, .docx, or .pdf.
Name your file with your last name and file type (example—Smith.doc)
Please note: if you are using Google docs or Pages, you must save your file as a PDF. You can find instructions for this in the software or by googling “convert Pages/Google docs to .pdf.”
Be sure to save a copy of your work.
Post your paper by the date and time listed here and in the Course Schedule. You must submit your paper here. No essays will be accepted in class or by email.

Assignment Overview
Please write about the Mosaic from San Vitale in Ravenna and use references !!!
This week we will be focusing on identifying and describing the influence of earlier Classical art from ancient Greece and Rome upon Christian and Islamic art and architecture from the early to late Medieval era, specifically by describing and analyzing the ways in which certain elements are appropriated in contexts outside of their original creation and use.The term “appropriation” refers to the intentional use of something that is not original but is rather borrowed and reused. For example, many musicians may appropriate melodies or lyrics from other artists or composers, but they reuse the original material in ways that are not strictly mirror copies. In art history, many visual artists have borrowed and repurposed stylistic, thematic, or other technical aspects from contemporaneous or earlier artforms all the time, but the difference between simply copying something and appropriating something involves using the material in a way that is different from its original appearance, use, and/or meaning.Assignment Instructions
Select one (1) artwork, structure, or monument from this week’s textbook reading assignments and/or lecture videos and describe it in detail. Help your reader imagine this work in their minds as clearly as possible.Your description should provide a visual analysis of your selected artwork or monument, including discussion of the style, design, and visual elements (colors, lines, shapes, scale, proportion, etc.), as well as the materials, techniques, and subject matter.
Make sure to include the name/title of the artwork or monument, as well as other key identifying details such as the medium (materials used), and the date/date range.
Explain how this work displays the appropriation of Greco-Roman features, styles, or techniques for a Christian or Islamic religious context. Your explanation should: Identify specific elements that appear in Greco-Roman art or architecture and also clearly appear in your selected work. These elements could include specific patterns, designs, materials, techniques, or iconographic features such as animal or human figures, etc.
Explain how the Greco-Roman aspects of this work that you identified were used and understood by a Christian or Islamic audience in as much detail as possible.
For instance, perhaps the work borrows the same kind of naturalism in style from Roman freestanding or relief sculpture, or the same kinds of techniques in fresco or mosaic, or the same kinds of design in architectural structures and public spaces, for example, but the work from Late Antiquity repurposes those traditional Roman features to be used in the worship of Christian or Islamic beliefs, or the practice of Christian or Islamic religious activities, or in the depictions of Christian or Islamic figures, etc..
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask by posting in the Question and Answer Discussion Forum or by reaching out to me directly!

Part 1
Lecture
Outside Video
Reading – Albrecht Durer Self Portrait
Let’s start with the Merode Altarpiece. by Robert Campin (or by the Master of Flemalle, depending on which source you are using).
(1) Using your notes the lecture, examine the “iconography” of this altarpiece. What symbolic representations are in the paintings (choose 2-3)? How do these small details relate to the meaning of the work as a whole? How do they relate to trends in Northern European Renaissance art?
(2) Next, view the outside video. First off, what are Butchart’s interests in the painting? How do you think they might diverge from the “traditional” history of art? What is her conclusion about the intent of the painting? What challenges do the fabricators face in recreating the gown?
(3) What insights do you believe Amber Butchart’s recreation add to our interpretation of the painting?
(4) Next turn your attention to the short article on Albrecht Durer’s Self-Portrait. According to the author, Christopher Jones, who does Durer model himself after? Why was this not considered “blasphemous” during a highly religious period? What does Jones argue is the key to understanding the meaning of the painting (hint: look for Jones’s statement that “There is perhaps one further detail in the painting that is worth examining, to gain a fuller understanding of the work”)? Summarize his argument using one DIRECT QUOTE.
Part 2
Lecture
Outside reading – Michelangelo.pdf
Please read the outside reading, a primary document from Giorgio Vasari’s Lives of the Artists, which describes the creation of Michelangelo’s David.
(1) How does Vasari describe the challenges Michelangelo faced in creating the David? How does he describe the finished statue itself (use a direct quote)? What do you find most striking in this account?
(2) Vasari (who worked for the Medici court in the 1550s), subtly criticizes the republican councilor of Florence (Piero Soderini). What incident does he use to demonstrate Michelangelo’s superiority over Soderini?
Next, turn your attention to the description of Leonardo’s work in creating the Last Supper (this is in a lecture slide).
(3) How does this account differ from the accounts of Michelangelo’s working process? What was the original context for Leonardo’s Last Supper (where was it located, what other works of art is it in dialogue with)? How does this inform the way we should read the work of art?
(4) What is the original context for Raphael’s School of Athens? What did this work of art say about the patron who commissioned it?

Global Artists
During art school, one of his teachers asked Nigerian-British artist Yinka Shonibare, “Why aren’t you making authentic African art?” He wondered: “What is authentic African Art. What is authentic identity in a global modern world?”
Michel Tuffery is artist an artist of Samoan, Rarotongan and Ma’ohi Tahitian heritage: “We’re this third generation,” says the artist, “we were born here, in New Zealand. If you go to a new place you create a new culture, and that’s what we’re doing…it’s a coming to grips.”
Chinese contemporary artist Xu Bing considers what has inspired his work: “As an artist, you ask yourself: Can you channel your life experience through your artwork using whatever is unique to you, to create a new artistic language?”
In the wake of rapid global change, we see the emergence of global, transnationalLinks to an external site. artists worldwide who use art to explore their identity and to comment on socio-political issues. But imagine what it’s like being an expatriate, living away from one’s home country. Imagine what it’s like feelinglike an expatriate when you’ve never left the country where you were born. How would you deal with that? What type of art would you create. What would your message be?
These are just a few of the issues contemporary artists are tackling, locally and globally, in the 21st century.
How Artists Explore Identity
Art helps us understand not only the artists, but also ourselves. Works of art can convey the experiences and identities of the artists who create them, and as viewers we may share similar experiences and identities. As you watch this video, consider some of the ways art informs how we see the artist, and what it tells us about how artists see themselves.
Why Global Art?
In our interconnected and increasingly fragile world, we cannot afford to overlook the perspective of global, transnational artists who work from the basis of experiences and traditions that may be very different from our own.
Some of these artists work within our local communities, while others create and display their work far outside our local region. Located in different countries around the world, these artists draw on a broad variety of artistic knowledge, incorporating into their work the ideas and practices of their own culture, as well as innovations from other cultures. For example, an artist working today in China has available the resources of traditional Eastern and Western art practices, as well as the pluralism of modern and postmodern art.
Informed by diverse cultures and personal experiences, these artists communicate values that all persons, irrespective of their particular cultures, can share. Whether celebrating the vitality of local culture and tradition, promoting mutual understanding, or making powerful social and political statements, these artists bring a fresh global worldview that we desperately need.
Key Issues and Themes
Contemporary global artists work in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, installation, and performance art. They create works of art that confront our worldview about the social, political, and environmental challenges we face, including:
the socio-political effects of forced migration, displacement, and exile.
the trauma of conflict, industrialization, environmental destruction, and natural disasters.
the violence, oppression, and misrepresentation experienced by minorities in contemporary society.
historical stereotypes, cultural appropriation, and the oppression of indigenous peoples in modern culture.
the experience, identity, and roles of women and men in traditional societies.
the construction of contemporary identity and self-image within a colonial and post-colonial world.
Key Strategies
These artists use a variety of strategies to draw attention to these challenges.
They remove objects and images from their usual context (decontextualization).
They present common things in an unfamiliar or strange way (defamiliarization).
They emphasize the idea behind the art over its monetary value (dematerialization).
They challenge aggressive localism that uses culture as a mark of otherness and as a defense.
They critique the institutions of art and the colonial attitudes they sometimes reinforce.
They employ radical juxtaposition of forms to reveal hidden meanings.
They create art that is grounded in or examines local or national traditions.
Your Assignment
In this Discussion, you will select a global, transnational artist, from the list provided in the instructions, who makes work that you can relate to or who has an artistic approach that you find powerful and interesting. You will then post a 500-650 word analysis of their artistic approach, and how their work expresses their personal history and identity.
You will support your key points with ideas and information you find in the resources provided in the instructions, and with your own observations, ideas and insights. Please do not rely on other sources. I am mostly interested in reading what you have to say about the work of the artist you select!After you select an artist from the list provided, write and post a 500-650 word analysis of their artistic approach, and how their work expresses their personal history and identity. Please include at least one example of the artist’s work that demonstrates their artistic approach.
At the beginning of each paragraph, write a concise topic sentence that clearly states what the paragraph is about. This topic sentence will help frame the controlling argument for each paragraph and will help your reader follow your key ideas.
Paragraph One: Theme and ApproachThis paragraph should be between 150-200 words.
Please post at least one image that is a good example of the artist’s work.
Topic sentence: In your topic sentence, clearly state the main issue or theme the artist is working with. Do this in one sentence. Please refer to the list of key issues and themes in the previous section. Pick only one main issue or theme to write about and focus on that.
Body of paragraph: Next, describe the artist’s unique artistic approach to addressing this issue or theme. How does the artist create their work? What is the message? Introduce at least one example of the artist’s work and describe the main strategies used to convey this message. Please refer to the list of key strategies in the previous section.
Paragraph Two: Personal History and IdentityThis paragraph should be between 200-250 words.
Topic sentence: In your topic sentence, summarize the connection between the artist’s work and their personal history and identity. Do this in one sentence.
Body of paragraph: Next, describe this connection in greater depth. Provide more detail about the artist’s personal experiences and explain how they inform their art. Before you write this paragraph, you may need to do extra research to learn about the artist. Please cite your sources.
Paragraph Three: Making a Difference (Evaluation)This paragraph should be between 150-200 words.
Topic Sentence: In your topic sentence, summarize why (or why not) this artist’s work of art made a difference to you, or to your way of thinking about the issues and themes in the work. Do this in one sentence. Stay focused and don’t try to write about everything. Keep it real.
Body of Paragraph: Next, thoroughly discuss your reaction to the artist’s work and evaluate its effectiveness in more detail. Explain why you think the artist’s work is successful. Support your key points with examples and observations of the artist’s work.
It may be helpful to consider some of these factors:
You don’t need to answer all these questions. They are here to help get you thinking.
What initial ideas or feelings come to mind after experiencing the work of this artist?
Do you identify with the artist’s work? Based on your life experiences, is it personally relevant to you?
Does the work impact your way of thinking about these issues?
What is it about the artist’s work that engages you the most? The message? The way it is made? The formal characteristics?
Do you think your experience of the work is the same as what the artist intended?

With pen and ink with ink washes draw a floral or plant life composition on 18″ x 24″ paper.
Experiment with shape, line weight and texture.
Use stippling, hatching and cross-hatching to create shadow and volume.
The line work should enhance the wash drawing, not outline.
Beware of value contrast. Slowly work up to dark values
Let happy accidents happen!