Assignments for this course take the form of written summaries, research, and analysis. They are designed to help us work through the course objectives, while keeping a focus on our spiritural growth through conceptual learning.

For each assignment, please develop a document and submit it to me in either Microsoft Word or HTML format (your word processing software should permit you to do a "save as" and choose either of those formats).

Each assignment can be completed by consulting Web-based materials listed on the course Resource page.

Assignment 1
History of Modern Art (Please see Lecture 1)

Requirement 1:
Consult Lecture 1, and Web-based Resources as necessary and develop your own statement on the essence of modern art. Be sure to answer:

What is modern art?
What distinguishes an artist as "modern"?
How is "modern" art like and unlike "traditional" art?
Consider: Does art "reflect" the culture around it or tend to drive cultural values?

Requirement 2:
Trace the history and impact of the following modern art movements:

Art Deco	Bauhaus
Cubism	Dada and Surrealism
Expressionism	Flavism
Harlem Renaissance

 

Hint: Yahoo's Modern Art page is an excellent starting point.

Assignment 2
Modern Art Theory

Using the Web search feature on the course Resources page, explore the varying opinions on the purpose of art. By typing "purpose of art" into the Google search box, you will encounter a variety of interpretations and views of the purpose of art.

Requirement:
Develop a lesson plan for teaching the "Purpose of Art" to an age appropriate group. Be especially careful to highlight the place of modern art in the broader context of artistic expression.

First, identify the age group (or grade). Then develop a lesson (or lecture) outline, key detail points, examples, stories, and any detail needed to convey the "purpose of art" to the age group you have chosen.

Assignment 3
Modern Art Movements

Requirement:
Using the Web resources available to you, develop a series of "mock interviews" with the following major modern artists. Your interviews shouls be a series of questions you "ask" the artists, to which they "respond" with their own words, found in articles and features on the Web.

Your questions should be broad-ranging and insightful, inviting the artists to comment on their lives, their times, and their challenges. You may use the same questions for each artist, as long as the answers are relevant.

Be sure to use direct quotes, be sure to cite, with each quote, where the quote was found.
(Hint: See Artists on Art )

Joseph Albers
Paul Cezanne
Robert Henri
Piet Mondrian
Georgia O'Keefe
Jackson Pollack
Diego Rivera

Assignment 4
Spirituality and Modern Art (Please see Lecture 2)

Requirement:
Is there a Christian modern art movement? Using the links found on the course Resources page, identify examples of modern art that you believe glorify the God of the bible and/or Jesus Christ. (Remember, such art must also honor the key value of modern art: it must be "new" in some respect.)

Hint: The Wilberforce Forum is a great starting point.

Assignment 5
Expression in Modern Art (Please see Lecture 3)

Requirement 1:
Please develop a short paper entitled "modern art I like." Using the links on the Resources page, and any additional Web materials you wish, identify 20 examples of modern art that appeal to you. The examples may include paintings, digital art, sculpture, or other emerging art forms you find.

In your paper, be sure to identify the piece of art, the artist, and the online location. Then provide your review of the piece. Your review should include your impressions and the rationale behind them, in as much depth as possible.

Your paper can be in the form of short reviews.

Requirement 2:
Develop the same kind of paper as you did for Requirement 1, except title this one "modern art I dislike."

Assignment 6
Media and Digital Art
Like many aspects of our culture, "digital art" is a phrase that is open to a wide interpretation. It can include computer-generated drawing and painting, digital photography, digital video, and more esoteric projects related to digital expression.

For this course, digital versions of visual art will be the focus. Please review the following digital media collections:
The Alternative Museum
Digital Craft
Digital Art Source

Requirement:
Write an article called "Introduction to Digital Art," as if it were to be featured in a senior citizen center's monthly newsletter. Be sure to explain any concepts a senior citizen might need to understand about digital art, as well as your impression of the quality, availability, and accessibility of digital art.

Final Paper
Cultural Policy Paper

As a student of modern art, you have been asked to submit a position paper on cultural policy.

Using information about the history, theory, expression and impact of modern art, develop a paper that a government agency, think tank, or arts organization could use as its position on modern art. Be especially careful to articulate your position on the purpose of art, your view of expression in modern art and its underlying theory, and appropriate use of artistic expression and society.

Should some forms of art be excluded or banned? Does the artist's right of self-expression deserve unbounded protection? Where would you draw the boundaries, and why?

Expected length: 10-20 pages
Citation standards: Cite all works using either MLA or APA citation standards