The goal of this assignment is to respond to a piece related to something we have encountered so far in class through a close reading of that piece. Each student must write one essay. The paper should be written for an academic audience, with proper citations and style, and turned in through Canvas. Papers should be NO LONGER THAN 5 PAGES (no minimum length).
Each paper should include the following:
Part I
A description of the historical CONTEXT of the piece chosen (when and by whom it was made, what was going in the place and time, etc.
A brief analysis of the work according to its TEXT (according to genre: paintings should be analyzed in terms of style and theme, brushstrokes, etc.; architecture in terms of building style, layout, etc.; music in terms of lyrics and sound).
A brief analysis of its SUBTEXT (so you must state what you think the goal or meaning of the piece, what it’s hidden or deeper meaning might be, what can this piece tell us about the culture that created it? making sure to cite various aspects of the piece (a particular part of the painting or some piece of the story, etc) which supports your interpretation.
Your own personal response to the work. This first part of the response should take a stand with regard to the work. Do you like it? Is it effective? Why or why not?
Part II
The second part of the response should compare the work to another. This other work can be from any period or place other than the previously chosen piece. Briefly (in a page or so) examine your chosen artwork according to the previous 4 steps (Part I). Then, draw a comparison between the two works. The comparison should demonstrate how a similar theme, style, or argument occurred in a different time and place, and how that makes it different from the previously chosen piece.
These are the subjects
Epic Poetry: Storytelling, Myth, and
Community
The Epic of Sundiata
The Tale of Sinuhe
Painting: Cosmology, Humanity, and Representations of the Land
Wang Ximeng 1113, A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains
Frederic Edwin Church 1859, Heart of the Andes
Architecture: Religion, Symbolism, and Culture
Arnolfo di Cambio / Filippo Brunelleschi (1296-1436), Florence Cathedral
Ustad Ali Akbar Isfahani, Ustad Fereydun Naini, Ustad Shoja Isfahani (1611-1629), Shah Mosque
Music: Capitalism and Socialism
Travis McCoy (2010), Billionaire
The Coup (1993), Dig it
Dance: Bodies and Embodiment
Tony Duncan (2011), Hoop Dance
Victor vs Kleju (2015), Undisputed World B-Boy Masters
