Visual Analysis
DUE: April 7 at 5:00 PM, in the Assignment folder in iCollege
You are responsible for turning in a visual analysis of one of the following works:
- Bure kalou (spirit house), early 19th century.
Your assignment should include:
- The link to or a photograph of the work of art you chose in the comments section of the submission folder.
- A one page visual analysis (approximately 250 words; 1” margins, typed, and double-spaced)
A visual analysis asks you to look at the individual, visual components of a work (formal elements) as well as the relationships between these elements; it then asks you to synthesize this information (elements and relationships) to form a coherent thesis, which you then support. No outside research is to be done for this assignment. This analysis should not refer to the historical context of the work nor concern itself with interpretation (what it means). It should be based on what you see. CHAT GPT is not allowed for any part of this assignment.
How to write a visual analysis:
- In an introductory paragraph, briefly describe the work of art.
- The title of the image, artist, year of creation, and materials in the introductory sentence.
- At the end of your introductory paragraph, include a thesis statement that relates to the fundamentals of the piece. How is line/shape/volume/color/variety/balance/rhythm incorporated into the composition? Remember, a thesis statement is an argument that will require evidence (from the work of art) as support.
- The body of your paper is the evidence for your argument. You should have 2-4 examples from the work of art that you chose that support your argument. Be specific!
- If the work is figurative (i.e. representative/not abstract) avoid basing your thesis on the “realism” of the image or subject matter. Instead, focus on the formal elements and their interaction.
- Keep your references to “the viewer,” “the audience,” “the eye,” “the impact on the viewer,” and phrases like “at first glance” and “upon closer inspection” to a minimum.
- Avoid referring to the artist’s intentions. Simply concentrate on “how” a certain effect is achieved via the formal elements.
- Use a writing style appropriate to a formal essay. Pay attention to good writing: conciseness, sentence variety, spelling, and punctuation.
It is the expectation that you will incorporate feedback from your rough draft. Learning to write a compelling visual analysis is a skill, and most students have never worked on this kind of analysis before. The draft and revision process will help you learn this kind of writing, as well as make sure that you are on target for the final paper.
