Reading Visual Texts: Analyzing Art and Photographs California Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference March 3, 2017 Sacramento, Ca. Lauren Weaver College Park High School, Mt. Diablo Unified WEAVERL@MDUSD.ORG
TEACHING and MODELING IN-CLASS Renaissance Art Emphasis on Humanism Realism Naturalistic Perspective General Art Analysis Skills Vantage of the viewer Light vs. Dark areas Composition: Use of Space, Shapes and Movement Color, Lines, Shapes, Movement REMEMBER: The artist made all the choices- what is left in the piece, what is cut out, where everything is placed, etc STUDENT ASSIGNMENT Renaissance ART A) Go online and find TWO pieces of art from the Renaissance. Write down the citation information. B) Analyze the art based on your ART ANALYSIS SKILLS 1) Explain how the artist captured the new energy of the Renaissance through REALISM (showing people as they really look) and/or PERSPECTIVE (showing things in the same way we see them objects farther away appear smaller than objects close to us) 2) Analyze the piece by considering some of the following aspects: a) Explain the vantage s impact (i.e. where are we positioned as the viewer and how does this influence our perception?) b) Composition: How did the artist position the objects? How does your eye travel through the piece? c) How did the artist choose to use color, light, lines, shapes, movement, etc to create meaning? C) Formally write down your analysis using the Writing Frames for guidance: Technique 1) The artist used by 2) was used to (create/convey) 3) I see (or notice). This technique Meaning 1) I see This leads me to believe 2) I notice. I think this means 3) There's. I think the artist did this to highlight Write down the following citation information: WEBSITE ARTIST: NAME OF ART PIECE: ART ANALYSIS and EXPLANATION:
NAME Per Comparing & Contrasting Ideas in Writing When writing a Comparison Essay, you must use WORDS that SHOW SIMILARITIES Comparison Sentence Starters and Connector Words: Similarly, In addition, Moreover Both Additionally, Not only Likewise, Also, Furthermore Comparing Verbs: agree share concur is similar to EX: Art from the Classical and Renaissance Periods are similar in many ways. The Renaissance artists looked back to the Classical Period for many ideas, which is why there are so many similarities. Both. Moreover, they are similar. Additionally, Writing Prompt: What are the artistic similarities between the Classical and Renaissance Periods? PART #1) NOTES: List KEY WORD similarities between the Classical Period and Renaissance Period. Then write about the similarities below by writing complete sentences that include comparison cue words from the boxes above. Make sure you underline or circle the comparison cue words. Art made during the Classical and Renaissance Periods share many aspects. Both When writing a Contrasting Essay, you must use WORDS that SHOW DIFFERENCES Contrasting Sentence Starters and Connector Words: While Unlike On the other hand, Whereas In Contrast, In opposition, Although Conversely, As opposed to Contrasting Verbs: differed opposed contrasted disagreed EX: Whereas the Middle Ages art focused on mostly religious scenes, the Renaissance artists painted both religious and secular, or nonreligious, scenes. The purposes of the art also differed. While the Middle Ages used art as a way to teach Christianity to illiterate people, artists during the Renaissance painted scenes that showed the importance of humans, and often times went beyond portraying religious scenes. Middle Ages art. Conversely, (or In contrast, or On the other hand,) art during the Renaissance differed because. Middle Ages art, whereas (or while) art during the Renaissance contrasted these ideas by. Writing Prompt: What are the differences between art made during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance? PART #1) NOTES: List KEY WORD differences between the Medieval (Middle Ages) and Renaissance Period. Then write about the differences below by writing complete sentences that include comparison cue words from the boxes above. Make sure you underline or circle the comparison cue words. Middle Ages VS Renaissance Art made during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in many ways.
Name: Per Analyzing Primary Sources: Propaganda Title of Piece: Creator/ Artist: Media Format: Date: Place: Historical Context: WHAT: Observations and Analysis I see. I notice [Describe the image, including symbols, colors, words, etc] Paul Revere Engraving, The Bloody Massacre in King-Street, March 5, 1770. Boston, 1770 It tells me.. [Analyze what you see] WHY: Analysis I noticed It looks like It shows I think that Is the piece targeting a specific group or person? If so, name the group and explain why. Who is the intended audience? Why do you think this? What is its goal? What do they want the audience to do? Is it an effective piece of propaganda (propaganda: something that tries to sell a belief or idea)? Why or why not? Summary Explanation: This piece tells me that
ANALYZING ART WHO and WHAT Artist: Title: Medium: Audience: Who is the intended audience? Name: WHEN & WHERE Place and Time: Historical Context: What was going on before, during, after? Motive or Purpose: For what purpose was this art created? (Inference)Who had access to see this art? Observations: QUESTIONS What I see What I think it means What this makes me wonder about: ANALYSIS: Art Techniques What I see Vantage: Where are we positioned as the viewer? What I infer What I think the artist was trying to show Elements of ART: Choose 2 and describe what you see: * Color * Light * Lines / Shapes * Space * Movement 1. : 2. : MESSAGE: What message is the artist trying to convey? How does the artist use elements of art to create the message or argument?
EXAMPLES of Other Types of Visual Text Analysis VOICETHREAD: Teachers can create a free account with 4 slide shows. Students can then analyze the collection you vetted. Examples: Renaissance Art: https://voicethread.com/myvoice/thread/8196680 Romanticism, Realism (inc.l Photography) Impressionism & Post-Imp: https://voicethread.com/share/7327384/ Age of Anxiety: Abstract, Cubism, Dada, and Surrealism: https://voicethread.com/myvoice/thread/8713024/ Screenshot of Voicethread: Student Work Sample: Wartime Propaganda Types of Propaganda: These are the techniques used to sell the information or idea techniques BANDWAGON Everybody s used to sell the doing information it! or idea Goals and O Goals and Outcomes FEAR/SECURITY Images, words, etc that are scary Vilify GLITTERING GENERALITY or POSITIVE/WARM and FUZZY Positive feel; good adjectives, positive name Vilify calling the enemy- what a villain! Nation WARM and NAME-CALLING FUZZY Positive or NEGATIVE Negative feel; good adjectives, feel; positive negative name adjectives calling or negative names Nationalism: We re #1~the best! Raise TESTIMONIAL Famous person supports. Raise money, troops, supplies are scary e feel; negative adjectives or negative names PLAIN FOLKS Everyday, ordinary people (like you and me) support this. EMOTIONAL Any other advertisements that invoke and emotion. etc like you and me) support this. at invoke and emotion. Evidence Country of Origin and Goa PLACARD Types of Propaganda (Cite slogans/word choice, use of color, symbols, etc) Evidence Intended Audience Effe PLACARD Types of Country of Origin Country and of Origin Goals Goals /Outcomes /Outcomes and its and (Cite slogans/word choice, and Intended What country created its it? Effectiveness What ite slogans/word choice, use of color, symbols, etc) Propaganda use of color, Intended symbols, etc) Audience Audience Effectiveness What country created it? What country created What it? does What the poster does want the poster the citizens want to do Who is the intended the audience? citizens to do? Is it e Who is the intended Who is the intended audience? audience? Is it effective? Is it effective? Yes No Yes Why or w No Why or why not? Evidence
Photo Techniques: Understanding How Photographs Communicate Here are a few of the techniques and strategies by which a photo conveys meaning: Angle The vantage point of direction from which the artist photographs the subject. What is the vantage of the viewer: Above? Below? Eye-level? Center? Askew/off center? Close? Far away? What is the viewpoint? How does this create a sense of: power, intimacy, disconnect, etc? Lighting Focus Framing/ Cropping Light is one of the most powerful tools of the photographer. The manipulation of light and dark, and the sharpness of contrast between light and dark contribute to the mood a photograph conveys. Where is the source of light coming from? What time of day? What type of light? Bright light, even light, partial shadows, black silhouette How does light influence your reaction? Does it heighten emotion, elicit drama? Does it evoke a response? The clarity or blurriness of the image. What is in focus? What is blurry? The depth of field refers to the range between the nearest and farthest things that appear in clear focus. Hint: Photographer s use focus to draw attention to some things and away from others. By deciding where the edges of the image will be, the photograph determines what you will (and will not) see whether the subject will fill the frame and appear close up or will be seen at a distance as part of a larger context. How do these two photographs reveal a different story/ message based on framing/cropping? Composition What is in the foreground and what is in the background? How does your eye travel through the photo? Leading lines, Rule of Thirds. Do any visual elements repeat? Patterns? Shapes? How is the photo arranged? Rule of Thirds Balanced on each side, top to bottom, diagonally Rule of Thirds: Leading lines Balance, Symmetry, Patterns (Adapted from Susan Schekel, personal communication, Stony Brook University, and prepared by Lauren Weaver)
ANALYZING A Photograph Name: Title (if provided): Medium (if provided): daguerreotype, film, digital, other WHO Photographer: Audience Who is the intended audience? WHEN & WHERE Place and Time: Historical Context: Who had access to this photo? WHO or WHAT is the subject of the photograph: Observations QUESTIONS What I see What I think that means What this makes me wonder about Do you think this photo was a real moment or was it a staged moment directed by the photographer? Why? ANALYSIS: Photo Techniques and Strategies viewer? Angle: Where was the camera positioned? What feeling does this create? Framing/ Cropping: What part of the subject is shown? Not shown? Light: Where is the source of light coming from? What time of day? Is there contrast? Shadow or silhouette? Overexposed areas? Does the lighting increase the photo s emotion? Focus: What is in focus? What is blurry? Composition: Where in the frame are the subjects/objects located? What s in the foreground and background? Observations and Analysis: How do the photo techniques influence the Choose 2 or more to analyze : : The message of this photo is The influences the overall impression and/or meaning of this photo by/because.. (photo technique)
ANALYZING ART Name: Title of Image: Artist: Media: Date of work: Visual Analysis Worksheet I see. It tells me.. I wonder.. WHY: Analysis The painting describes I think that It looks like It shows This painting tells me that Writing about art shows that (Name, title of image) (WHO? Artist) thought (WHAT? message regarding event) because (details of the image)
ANALYZING A POLITICAL CARTOON NAME: FOCUS QUESTION: BACKGROUND INFORMATION TITLE OF CARTOON: AUTHOR/PUBLISHER: PLACE AND TIME: Where and when was it published? Background information of the publication. HISTORICAL CONTEXT: What was going on during this event or era/period? OBSERVATIONS DESCRIPTION OF THE CARTOON What I see What objects, symbols, captions, people are portrayed in the cartoon? Be specific! MEANING What do the objects, people, words, etc. symbolize or represent? QUESTIONS/REACTION I wonder My reaction to the cartoon is MESSAGE/ARGUMENT: What is the cartoonists point of view about this topic or issue? CRITICAL THINKING What persuasive techniques were used in this political cartoon? Symbolism Exaggeration Captions/ Labels Analogy Irony What groups would agree or disagree with the cartoon s message? Why?