Persuasive Art
Images, just like words, are powerful and can bear witness to societal, political and historical issues. Explore this topic in an essay assignment which has you look at artists from the past and present.
How to Prepare for this AssignmentReview the materials on the M4.2 Learning Activities page.
InstructionsIn essay format, answer the following:
In chapter 4.7 and in the videos you are provided examples of how artists have used artworks to expose or protest against social issues or events. Select one (1) specific artwork referenced in oneof the assigned videos and one (1) specific artwork in the assigned textbook chapter (or one of the works listed on page 629). The chosen works should be examples that you feel are especially moving or persuasive (OR are not so successfully persuasive). Compose a short essay which compares the selected works, using the following questions to help guide your response:
Identify the artworks chosen (artist, title, medium and date).
What messages do the works seek to convey? In your discussion, you must include pertinent contextual information such as the period of art and historical context in which the particular artworks were made.
Include a discussion of how each artwork’s materials (medium) affects the message and reception.
Compare the artworks. What elements cause the works to be either successfully and/or unsuccessfully powerful or persuasive? Consider elements such as subject matter, aesthetic choices, composition, etc. Be specific and use visual and contextual evidence to support your position.
Because of art’s power to stir emotions, some works have themselves become the subject of controversy. Reflect on artworks that have been censored or in some other way withheld from public view. Do you believe that artworks (or photographs documenting a current event) should never be censored, or do you think that there are some subjects that should be banned? Use at least one specific artwork example from your own research to help make your point.
Format and Submission GuidelinesWord count: 600 words minimum. You may exceed this minimum requirement. Include a word count at the bottom of your essay. You are expected to submit a fully complete essay, with a clearly developed introduction and conclusion.
Submit in a Word document (.doc, .docx) or convert to text-based PDF document. Any other formats are NOT accepted and will result in a zero (0) grade. Corrupt files or incorrect documents will also result in a zero (0) grade.
Double-space and use 12-point font, Times New Roman, one inch margins and indent the first line of each new paragraph. Italicize all artwork titles. Writing in first person is acceptable.
Use MLA style when citing sources. See the University of South Florida library guide for Citing Sources.
Proofread before submission. You must use correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Utilize the resources provided by the Writing Studio at USF.Another good online resource is the Purdue Online Writing Lab.
Turnitin
Your paper will be checked using Turnitin. Turnitin is a tool to educate students regarding appropriate citation and referencing techniques, as well as to provide USF with confidence in the academic integrity of your work. When you submit an assignment through Turnitin, it compares it to text in its massive database of student work, websites, books, and articles to ensure academic integrity. Access TurnItIn tutorials to further assist you in working with this tool.Links to an external site.
Students are not required to include personal identifying information, such as name, in the body of the document.
Do NOT submit work you have turned in for any other courses
Picasso’s Guernica“Guernica is the most famous anti-war painting in history, and Picasso’s best-known work. It has gone from a piece that was created in protest at the horrific bombing of a small village in northern Spain, to an icon and a universal symbol of freedom from ALL wars. Picasso said, “We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth”, and like so much of Picasso’s work it can be difficult to decipher the ‘truth’ in the political, artistic and religious symbolism.”https://youtu.be/qJLH7JAsBHA
Goya’s Third of May, 1808
Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris discuss the formal properties, subject matter, and historical context of Goya’s painting Third of May, 18008
.https://youtu.be/_QM-DfhrNv8
Bellows and WWI“George Bellows’s painting, “Return of the Useless,” depicts the harsh realities of World War I. Influenced by reports of atrocities, Bellows’s work changed public opinion about the war. His series, including this painting, combined historical and contemporary elements, showing the power of art in political discourse.
”https://youtu.be/aemlQKntub8
Sue Coe, Aids Won’t Wait, the Enemy is Here Not in Kuwait, 1990
“Sue Coe’s print, “AIDS won’t wait, the enemy is here not in Kuwait,” criticizes the U.S. government’s response to the AIDS crisis. The artwork contrasts the silence on AIDS with the media coverage of the Gulf War. Coe uses stark black-and-white imagery to highlight the moral imperative of addressing the epidemic.”
Artist Kara Walker – ‘I’m an Unreliable Narrator’ | Fons Americanus | Tate
“Fons Americanus is a 13-metre tall working fountain inspired by the Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace, London. Created by artist Kara Walker for the 2019 Hyundai Commission, it is one of the most ambitious installations in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall to date. Rather than a celebration of the British Empire, Walker’s fountain explores the interconnected histories of Africa, America and Europe. She uses water as a key theme, referring to the transatlantic slave trade and the ambitions, fates and tragedies of people from these three continents. Fantasy, fact and fiction meet at an epic scale.”https://youtu.be/tV_L3fceGNA. Superman, World War II, and Japanese-American experience (Roger Shimomura, Diary: December 12, 1941)“Roger Shimomura’s painting, Diary, December 12, 1941, reflects his grandmother’s experience during World War II. After Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans could only withdraw $100 monthly from their banks. Shimomura’s artwork depicts his grandmother in a traditional Japanese setting, with Superman’s silhouette looming, symbolizing both protection and surveillance. The painting explores themes of identity, discrimination, and wartime experiences.”
https://youtu.be/JClnwHaiwiE Doris Salcedo – Shibboleth | TateShots”Every work of art is political because every work of art is breaking new ground,” says Colombian artist Doris Salcedo. In this video, Salcedo explains why she decided to literally break new ground in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall by splitting the floor open with a long snaking crack in her piece Shibboleth.” https://youtu.be/NIJDn2MAn9I