RQ-Sayre-1Morgan Walsh PDF

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Morgan Walsh ART332A - ART OF THE MODERN W ORLD

READING QUESTIONS Henry Sayre, “Introduction: Writing as Critical Thinking,” & “Using Visual Information: What to Look For and How to Describe What You See,” in Writing About Art, 6th edition (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2009), 1-8, 28-63. “Introduction: Writing as Critical Thinking”  What is “the first principle” of Sayre’s book? The “first principle” of Sayre’s book is that “good writing begins with good questions”.  Does he think that there’s one definitive, correct meaning for most works of art? Please back up your answer with a quotation from the text. No, he believes that works of art can often be interpreted many different ways. On pages 3 and 4, he writes, “Be sure your reading of a work of art is complete enough (that it recognizes the full range of possible meanings the work might possess), and, at the same time, that it doesn’t violate or misrepresent the work”.  Sayre lists seven steps to thinking critically about art. Which step do you think is most important in thinking about a work of art? I believe that the last step, Tolerate uncertainty, is the most important when thinking about a work of art it is very common to not know what an artist was thinking when they created a work of art. Although we may come up with theories on their intentions, some artworks may never be completely rationalized. “Using Visual Information: What to Look For and How to Describe What You See”  How does he describe “the vocabulary of good art writing?” He says that it is better to use simpler vocabulary that makes sense to you as the writer and analyzer than to use jargon that you may not completely understand.  Early in the chapter Sayre describes four “kinds of choices an artist can make,” which he goes on to discuss in greater detail. What are the four choices? The four choices are subject matter, media, the use of formal elements, and how to best organize the formal elements into the principles of design or composition.  Does Sayre think a work’s subject matter and meaning are the same?

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No. He thinks that two paintings can have the same subject matter, but that the meaning that the subject matter assumes in each artwork can vary greatly. Sayre does not find it that helpful to ask what the subject matter of a work of art is. What does he think we should ask ourselves instead? He believes we should ask ourselves, “What does the artist think of his or her subject matter?” Does Sayre believe that complementary colors always evoke a sense of contradiction or opposition? He believes that whether or not the complimentary colors contradict each other relies heavily on the subject matter and the approach that the artist takes. Sayre ends his chapter with a list of “questions to ask before writing about a work of art.” Does he think that each question will apply to all works of art? No. On page 68 Sayre writes of the list of questions, “It is by no means complete, and you almost surely will discover that most works of art raise still other questions. Nor will every question be of particular importance in your coming to terms with each work you see.”...