FNA 101H – Gallery Worksheet
You will need a worksheet for each work of art that you will be critically examining. The student is responsible for inserting a digital image of the work in the space provided below. This will help for future reference. Turn this document in with your essay.
Artist’s Name
Cai Guo-Qiang
Title of Work
Borrowing Your Enemy’s Arrows
Date of Work
1998
Medium of Work
Wood boat, canvas said, arrows, metal, rope, Chinese flag, and electric fan.
Dimensions of Work
Boat Approx 60*23′ 7″ * 7’6″ (152.4* 720*230 cm) each arrow approx 24″ (62cm)
Location of Work/Context
Genre/Style/
Movement
painting and sculpture
This worksheet is only for notes while at the gallery. The format for the assignment document is posted to Moodle/CMS.
Documenting the Work Digital Image of Work (required)
Part 1 – Describing & Evaluating the Work
List and describe ALL the formal attributes of the work. Discuss how the artist is using them, and how they contribute to the overall effect of the work. You should also provide a rational/reason for your assessment, which you will summarize more specifically in section #3 Evaluating.
Formal Element
Color, texture, shape, light, space, value, movement, etc. see .ppt on moodle for more elements
Type of Element
(The type of line, color, shape, texture, light, etc.)
i.e. angular, calligraphic, organic, heavy, light, line…
Use of the Element
How is the Artist using this element?
To what effect is the element and its use contributing to the outcome of the work?
Effectiveness or Non-Effectiveness
(How was the element used effective or not effective in conveying the intent of the work?)
Rational for Assessment
Provide a detailed rationale for your assessment…
EXAMPLE
Color
Complementary color
Symbolic Color
To add emphasis to the objects on the bar – and to create space – warmer colors come forward and cooler recede this creates more space work
White – Lilies emphasize purity of bar-made – or may be ironic depending on the interpretation of the narrative…
These complementary colors add emphasis to the foreground background and receding space in the mirror – and equate to a renaissance type space.
Symbolic color adds specificity to the narrative, but depending on the interpretation can either be a satirical statement or a reflection of a straightforward narrative.
Viewers see warm colors coming forward and cool colors going backward – this is the essence of renaissance space – aerial perspective in a landscape, etc.
If one reads the colors as symbolic: white=purity etc. the narrative might include commentary on the status of the barmaid and offer insight into the conversation b/w her and the male figure.
Part 2– Describing and Interpreting the Context of the Work
Style / Movement / Genre / Period – Provide the Definition and rationale for this work being categorized within that genre.
In what genre-era-style-movement-period of work does this piece belong to? (Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic, Realist, Impressionist, Expressionist, Cubist, contemporary, etc.) These ‘isms’ usually correspond to the date of the work.
Research these genres and you will be informed of the intent or the philosophy of that style of work. This is essential for understanding the work.
This artwork is a piece of contemporary art.
Contextualism – Relate the Information below to the Work of Art
What was happening historically, culturally, and socially when this work was created that might have influenced the work? (Local and Global Politics, technological inventions, social philosophy, religious experience, etc.)
How does the work fit into the artists’ body of work? If you’re examining a cultural artefact, how does the artefact fit into the context of the culture or ritual from which it comes?
It isn’t good enough just to list that the work was completed during WWII, it is necessary to discuss why this would have a bearing on the work itself. How did this affect the work?
Other important details:
Intended Communication
Given the above, what do you think the artist trying to communicate to the audience?
What is this image about?
How does the formal content and narrative content of the work communicate to the viewer?
Part 3 – Interpretation and Summarizing About the Work
Theorize, philosophize, and summarize the impact and experience of the work and its overall effective use of media, content, and communication of meaning. Use examples from the work, or other sources that would correlate to what you want to suggest. This should be based on the context of the work, and what you think of the content, its importance, and ultimate meaning. This is a summary of your findings in the first three parts of the analysis. (This can be in bulleted form for this worksheet- but use proper sentence structure, and it will more readily transfer to your formal essay)
Part 4 – Evaluating & Theorizing about the Work
How effective is the Work? Provide an evaluation / judgment / assessment as to the effectiveness of the image. This is an appraisal based on the factors in Parts 1 and 2. (Be careful here not to be subjective, your evaluation is based on the facts you have accumulated on the work. Judgment is based on reasons that are evidenced within the work, not pet peeves or personal taste) The information that you have gathered in Sections 1 & 2 will provide the basis for your evaluation and then ultimately the summary below.