Select three works of art (performance or visual), music, and/or literature that you feel represent you or aspects of you.  These works can be from any genre, but you must be able to link to the artwork, performance, musical piece or include an image or some/all text if the work is literary, so your classmates are able to see/listen/read/experience the artworks for themselves.   Please try to choose artworks of different media, so I would prefer you not choose three films  or pieces of music.  You can choose a film, a piece of music, and a work of visual art or any other combination, but you should try to vary the media as much as possible.

Write at least one paragraph about each work and what it means to you.  Describe the work using what you’ve learned in class, then explain in detail how the work represents you or aspects of you.  For example, if you choose an artwork such as Michelangelo’s David:

• you will include a picture or link to a picture (usually the museum a work of art resides in will have a page you can link to)
• you will describe the work in visual detail and include a brief discussion of the subject of the artwork if applicable (abstract art may not have a subject)
• you will explain the significance of the artwork to you and how you feel it is a representation of you
  • Perhaps because David is the underdog of the story you relate to him because of a specific personality trait or past experience in which you were the underdog, but came out on top in the same way David did.
  • Perhaps you are a sculptor and you envy Michelangelo’s technique
  • Perhaps you see David as a representation of faith in God and that represents your faith
  • Perhaps you view David as the perfect representation of a male nude and that expresses your views on the human body and health

Those are just a few examples, but I hope you get the idea.  You do not need to choose your artwork based on the subject matter.  You can choose artwork for its visual characteristics instead or as well.

Respond to at least three of your classmates’ artwork selections. HUM 1020 Final Project

Some things to keep in mind:

• I realize you will not always be able to link to the full artwork if you choose something like a film, theater, dance performance, or musical piece.  If you can find a clip through YouTube or Wikipedia, that should suffice.  If you are having trouble finding an image, clip, etc., reach out to me and I’ll see if I can help.
• If your story is too personal to share with the class, you can be less specific in regards to your connection to the piece, but you will still need to discuss the work in detail and explain, in general, why the piece speaks to you.
• When you respond to your classmates, please be respectful.  However, it is okay to be politely critical.  For instance, if you disagree with a classmate’s interpretation of a work or you think s/he got a detail wrong, then say so.  Such disagreements can be helpful, particularly if your classmate has made a mistake like calling Leonardo’s Last Supper a photo instead of a painting.  Disagreements can also help you learn from each other.  While music theorists, film critics, literature experts, and art scholars spend much time debating their respective subjects, there will usually be an acceptable consensus for the purposes of teaching and research, but because you all do not have the same level of expertise, debate can help you to develop your critical thinking skills even if your theories aren’t based on years of knowledge on the subject.  Still, try to base your theories off of what you’ve learned in class about various time periods, media, and artistic movements.  Meaning be careful not to apply 21st Century thought to an Ancient Egyptian painting.  The Ancient Egyptians had their own beliefs, culture, and social structure that is reflected in their art.  Another example would be not to project your own religious values onto a work of art that isn’t religious in subject matter or theme or derives from a completely different religion than your own.  These caveats ONLY apply to your RESPONSES TO YOUR CLASSMATES.  In your own selection and discussion of artworks, you can freely project your own thoughts, beliefs, and experiences onto any artwork you find meaningful.
• I’m here to help you to be successful, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
• Please do not attempt this assignment until the last two weeks of class.  I have opened the assignment, so you have access to the full instructions and can be thinking about artworks throughout the various lessons, but your posts will be more meaningful if you wait until later in the course to post. HUM 1020 Final Project