Museum Writing Assignment Formal Analysis Paper

Since times immemorial people have exploring the mysterious connection between the man and the nature. The ancient people believed that life was governed by mysterious natural powers to which divine omnipotence was ascribed. With the coming of the industrial era, the distance between the man and the nature grew larger until a disastrous point was achieved when mechanical and artificial things substituted what would normally come from nature.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Museum Writing Assignment: Formal Analysis Paper specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, in the modern era of environmentalism, people appear to be turning back to their origins in an attempt to save the planet from an ecological catastrophe. This tendency is reflected in modern art that chooses the unity of the man and the nature as one of its main topics. One of the examples illustrating the unity of the man and the nature is an artwork by Lloyd Walsh Flesh to Earth (1995). This is an oil on canvas diptych that consists of two images, 40 by 30 inches each: a rose in its full blossom and a torso of a mature woman with loose hair and arms crossed to cover her naked breasts . The thematic affinity of the two paintings can be traced in the way Walsh manages the formal elements: the color, the light, and the composition. Both paintings are performed in a brown color scheme that reminds sepia effects in photography. The light falls on both the rose and the woman from the right, which is emphasized by a distinct shift in the tints of the color from a very light beige to the darkest brown. Each of the two paintings has only one item depicted in it, which immensely focuses the viewer’s attention and evokes contemplation on the deeper meaning of the paintings. A second illustration of the connection between the man and the nature can be found in an artwork by Betty Ward Man with Sunflower, The man with the sun flower hand making love to the woman whose hair is a river (2004–2006). The first thing that turns the viewer’s attention is the medium of this 54 by 54 inches round image: it is a cotton embroidery set off with silk petals and put in a hand-carved metal frame. The composition of the artwork clearly comprises three zones. The right half of the embroidery depicts a body of a naked woman whose long luxuriant hair curls and flows in blue waves as the waters of a river. In the bottom left part of the embroidery, there is a body of a naked man whose green hair reminds grass blades and who is stretching his hand – in shape of a sunflower – to the woman. Yet another image is featured at the top left part of the embroidery: a woman sitting on a chair with her legs crossed.Advertising Looking for critical writing on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The body of the woman and the chair itself ar e done in shades of grey and black, which sets this image off as extraneous to the colorful unity of the other two bodies. Such a contrast suggests a semantic opposition between the world of nature filled with color and love, and the colorless world of civilization. Both works attracted my attention and won my appreciation by their sincerity and suggestion of a deeper meaning. Although it is possible to enjoy each of them simply for the beauty of line, color, light, and composition, it appears even more exciting to think about the ideas underlying the artworks. The titles of the works provide sufficient hints for deciphering their meaning. Flesh to Earth suggests categorizing the woman as ‘flesh’ and the rose as ‘earth’ and uniting them on the basis of their similar nature. The rose is splendid in its bloom, and so is the woman in her heyday. From this parallelism stems the idea that human life cycle is similar to that of plants, and thus the immediate conn ection between the man and the nature is established. An analogous idea comes to one’s mind when looking at Man with Sunflower: the couple in love merge with each other and with powers of nature, while the image of a colorless woman remains solitary in the seclusion of civilization. Trough observation of modern artworks, it becomes possible to realize how much significance is given by artists to the connection between the man and the nature. The message of such artworks reads that only via this ultimate bond is happiness and harmony possible on this planet. Works Cited Walsh, Lloyd. Flesh to Earth. 1995. San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio, Texas. Ward, Betty. Man with Sunflower, The man with the sunflower hand making love to the woman whose hair is a river. 2004–2006. San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio, Texas.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Museum Writing Assignment: Formal Analysis Paper specifically for you for onl y $16.05 $11/page Learn More This critical writing on Museum Writing Assignment: Formal Analysis Paper was written and submitted by user Yaritza Reese to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Engage Students with Songs to Teach Metaphor and Simile

Engage Students with Songs to Teach Metaphor and Simile One way to engage students in the study of figurative language-specifically similes and metaphors- is to use examples from the songs they like. Teachers in grades 7-12 can point out how the  metaphors and similes in song lyrics allow  songwriters to communicate their innermost feelings. The metaphors and similes in songs help students to visualize comparisons that are  purposefully placed to convey attitude- Sad? Tears of a Clown. Happy? Walking on Sunshine. Dependable? Solid like a Rock.   If a teacher wants to teach similes and call attention to the  characteristic comparison word like, there is probably nothing more iconic then the song Like a Rolling Stone, the 1965  folk rock anthem by Nobel  laureate Bob Dylan. A more contemporary song example is   Let It Go from the Disney film Frozen where the Princess Elsa (voiced by  Idina Menzel) laments that The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside. Teachers can show how the songwriters chose similes to help listeners visualize the emotions of the singer, and both of these examples  use the word like in their poetic comparisons. For the explicit instruction of metaphors, there is  the 2015 country music hit by Keith Urban titled  John Cougar,  John Deere,  John 3:16  Ã‚  that  begins with a series of rapid-fire metaphors: Im a forty-five spinning on an old Victrola;  Im a two strike swinger, Im a Pepsi cola... There is also the classic rock and roll hit  Hound Dog, covered by Elvis Presley (1956) with its unflattering comparison to someone who is crying all the time... Here the metaphors are comparisons are direct but unusual: a singer to a record, a friend to a dog. These metaphors help the listener better understand the relationships in the songs. Caution: PG Language Only: While teachers can engage students by having them find similes and metaphors in the music they enjoy, the sharing of these songs in school must include high degrees of caution. There are several song lyrics that are explicit in their use of improper language, vulgarity, or profanity. There are also song lyrics that intentionally use metaphors and similes as coded language to send an implicit message that could be inappropriate for a middle school or high school class. If students will be allowed to share songs and lyrics in class, they must be prepared to share only those verses that are appropriate for use in class. In other words, PG lyrics only!   Here are two linked articles with songs that are already previewed for use in class that can be used to provide additional examples of both similes and metaphors in songs. Several of these song lyrics have already been analyzed to help teach about these key figures of speech: Article #1:Songs With Metaphors This article features 13 songs that can be used as models  for mini-lessons. The examples of metaphors in the lyrics are already analyzed for use in class. Songs include: ​Cant Stop the Feeling- by Justin TimberlakeH.O.L.Y. -Florida Georgia Line​Im Already There,  by LonestarThis is What You Came For -Rhianna Article #2:Songs With Similes This article features eight songs that can be used as models   or mini-lessons. The examples of similes in the lyrics are already analyzed for use in class. Songs include: Just Like Fire  -PinkStiches by  Shawn MendesExs Ohs by Elle King Common Core Connection Teachers still meet the literacy anchor standard in the Common Core for  English Language Arts when they use   song lyrics to address metaphors and similes: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.4Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. Finally, using song lyrics is one way teachers can move away from the worksheet and show students the importance of metaphors and similes in their everyday lives. Research on motivating students also suggests that when students are given the opportunity to make a choice, their level of engagement increases. Increasing student engagement through choice and allowing them to  share how  songwriters from every musical genre use similes and metaphors may give students the practice they need to become  proficient in interpreting and analyzing figurative language in other kinds of texts.