Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Vandalism or Art?

This is optional but I'd really like to hear what you think...

Read this article: http://nyti.ms/1oHkC8P

Write some comments for this post... this is a good chance to get a dialogue going.

Be respectful of course :)

See you all soon!

Sincerely,
Mr. Clarke

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Gods and Gospels Test

Test on the Gods and Gospels books on Wednesday August 27th. Since both books are huge, I will tell you just what to look over. This is the seriously the easiest AP test I've ever made, and is simply meant to check that you did the reading. 

In Gods and Heroes in Art, look over... 

Apollo 
Ariadne 
Bacchus (Dionysos) 
Centaurs 
Cupid (Eros) 
Hercules 
Jupiter (Zeus) 
Mars (Ares) 
Medusa 
Mercury (Hermes) 
Minerva (Athena) 
Minotaur 
Neptune (Poseidon) 
Pluto (Hades) 
Satyrs 
Venus (Aphrodite) 
Laocoon 
Socrates 
Romulus and Remus 

For this part, you will mostly be tested on what each god stands for and how they are typically depicted in art. All other required information is very basic. 

In Gospel Figures in Art, look over...
The Evangelists and their Symbols
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
Jesus' Family
Joachim and Anne
Marriage of the Virgin
The Birth and Childhood of Jesus
The Annunciation
The Visitation
The Nativity
Adoration of the Magi
The Flight into Egypt
Stories of Saint John the Baptist
The Baptism of Christ
Feast of Herod
Miracles and Parables
The Raising of Lazarus
The Prodigal Son
The Passion
The Entry into Jerusalem
The Betrayal of Judas
The Last Supper
Christ Washing Feet
The Arrest of Christ
Christ Before Pilate
The Flagellation
The Road to Cavalry
The Crucifixion
The Lamentation
After the Resurrection
The Resurrection
The Ascension

For this part, you will mostly be identifying scenes from the gospels from images. Most of the pictures are alternate ones to those found in the book, so familiarize yourself with the characteristics and chronology of the story, particularly the passion cycle. 

Like I said, nothing to stress about, just a heads up. If you did the reading and briefly look over these sections, you'll knock these questions out of the park! We'll also review stuff in class the day of :)

Sincerely, 
Mr. Clarke 

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Second Assignment Review

Thank you to everyone who has submitted their Second Assignment.  Over the next week, I will be reading all of them and adding comments to them.  Then I'll email them back to for you to review.  Use these comments to help with your next set of analyses.  (That's not to say that you can't start your next set now though.)

Hope everyone's summer is going well!

Sincerely,
Mr. Clarke

Third Assignment 2014-2015

This assignment is due by Monday August 18th at Midnight emailed to me at christopher.clarke@redclay.k12.de.us

READING

In "Learning to Look at Paintings", read:

Chapter 4: Tone
Chapter 5: Colour
Chapter 6: Subject-matter

In "Gospel Figures in Art", read pages 167-375 (many pages are just pictures)
In "Gods and Heroes in Art", read pages 189-375 (many pages are just pictures)

WRITING

This assignment will be more practice in formal analysis of works.

Choose 4 works from your reading in "Gods" or "Gospels" and write an analysis of each based on the "Learning to Look at Paintings" chapter on TONE (Pages 88-117).

Choose 4 works from your reading in "Gods" or "Gospels" and write an analysis of each based on the "Learning to Look at Paintings" chapter on COLOUR (Pages 118-134).

Choose 4 works from your reading in "Gods" or "Gospels" and write an analysis of each based on the "Learning to Look at Paintings" chapter on SUBJECT MATTER (Pages 135-174).  This is less of a formal analysis and more of a discussion about subject based on your Gods and Gospels books.

The instructions for the writing component are the exact same as the first major assignment. Don't forget that I will be assessing you based on the Gods, Gospels, and Writing about Art Readings when we return to school, so make sure you get them done before then! After this assignment there is only an essay left to complete for summer work, hopefully that is somewhat encouraging. Make sure you ask questions if you need help with anything! Good luck!

Sincerely,
Mr. Clarke

Monday, July 7, 2014

AP Scores are in!

Another highly successful year!

Five students earned a 5.
Eight students earned a 4.
Five students earned a 3.

No 1's or 2's!  An overall average of 4.0 :)

Well done!

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Sample Formal Analysis for Chapter 2: Space

This is what one analysis should look like. Note the use of comparison to works in Learning to Look at Paintings and incorporation of chapter content such as "orthogonals."

Giorgione, The Adoration of the Shepherds from Gospels Pg. 81 for Chapter 2: Space

In The Adoration of the Shepherds, Giorgione uses a variety of techniques to achieve spatial illusion. He utilizes single viewpoint two-point linear perspective to give the painting depth. The assumed orthogonals run from the center of the work where the shepherds are standing to two separate vanishing points. One of these vanishing points can be found on the horizon by the mountains to the far left, while the other occurs somewhere within the cave to the right. At first glance everything seems mathematically proportionate, but closer examination reveals that the figures in the middle ground do not appear to be consistent with the assumed orthogonals running through the work. Instead, they appear much smaller than they should when compared with the figures in the foreground. Adoration looks even less spatially convincing when compared to School of Athens on Pg. 34 of Learning to Look at Paintings, in which Raphael carefully represents the figures in different sizes corresponding to the geometrical organization of the painting.
In addition to this somewhat imperfect linear perspective, Giorgione also uses aerial perspective to convey depth. He does this by painting the houses, foliage, and mountains in far less detail than the subjects in the foreground, such as Mary's robe. He also uses cooler blues and greens in the background, which tend to recede from the viewer and contribute to the illusion of distance. This contrasts the reds and browns found in the foreground and middle ground which catch the viewer's eye and appear closer. Unlike Millet's The Gleaners on Page 44, Giorgione does not ignore the middle distance but instead calls our attention to it by placing structures and figures within it. The viewer's gaze begins on the figures in the foreground and drifts slowly back to the left through the middle ground and into the distance with the mountains and sky.

Remember, ask any and all questions you have and do your best work! Good luck!

Sincerely,
Mr. Clarke

Second Assignment 2014-2015

This assignment is due by Wednesday July 16th at Midnight emailed to me at christopher.clarke@redclay.k12.de.us

READING

In "Learning to Look at Paintings", read:

Chapter 1: Composition
Chapter 2: Space
Chapter 3: Form

In "Gospel Figures in Art", read pages 1-165 (many pages are just pictures)
In "Gods and Heroes in Art", read pages 1-188 (many pages are just pictures)

WRITING

This assignment will be practice in formal analysis of works.

Choose 4 works from your reading in "Gods" or "Gospels" and write an analysis of each based on the "Learning to Look at Paintings" chapter on COMPOSITION (Pages 1-28).

Choose 4 works from your reading in "Gods" or "Gospels" and write an analysis of each based on the "Learning to Look at Paintings" chapter on SPACE (Pages 29-55).

Choose 4 works from your reading in "Gods" or "Gospels" and write an analysis of each based on the "Learning to Look at Paintings" chapter on FORM (Pages 56-87).

Each analysis should be 1-2 paragraphs in length. List the work and page # at the top of each analysis (ex. Anthony van Dyck, Flagellation, 1620. Pg. 277 in Gospels). In each analysis compare/contrast the work to the ones listed as examples in that chapter and the other 3 works you are analyzing. Analyze only the qualities from that chapter! (Ex. If you are writing using the FORM chapter don't talk about the subject matter of the work...) Correct spelling and grammar will be expected on the AP test and for all assignments in this course. Proffread everthing ;)

I will post an example paragraph to help guide you. Email me or post on the blog any questions you have! Feel free to turn in your work before the due date as well.  Once I get your work, I'll create notes and send it back to you so your next assignment can be even better.  Do your best! Good luck!

Sincerely,
Mr. Clarke

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

First Assignment 2014-2015

Hello everyone!

For your first easy assignment, comment on this post with the following:

Your name.
Your status in acquiring the textbooks.
Your experience (or lack of) with the visual arts.
What you hope to learn from this class.

Do this by Monday 6/23 to avoid getting an email from me checking up on you.

Your first real assignment will be posted on that Monday as well, so check back or follow this blog.

Thanks!

Sincerely, 
Mr. Clarke

Friday, May 30, 2014

2014-2015 AP Art History Welcome and Summer Work Assignment


Welcome to AP Art History!  In this course we will cover everything from ancient sculptures and temples to contemporary art, all before the AP Exam on Thursday May 7, 2015.  Because of the volume of material we must cover in such short period of time, getting a head start over the summer will be vital to our success next year.  The assigned books for the summer coursework are:

Learning to Look at Paintings, Mary Acton, 2nd Edition, ISBN 0415435188
            This book discusses how to analyze paintings using formal analysis.  It will be particularly useful to students without a background in visual arts, however even those trained in visual arts will benefit from it as well.

Gospel Figures in Art, Stefano Zuffi, ISBN 089236727X
            This book will be very useful when while we study Christian art (which is about half the year).  It breaks down various chapters of the New Testament, highlighting key figures and events.  It also seeks to explain the various Christian imagery and symbolism that appears throughout religious art.  You will be tested on this material in the first week of school.

Gods and Heroes in Art, Lucia Impelluso, ISBN 0892367024
            This book is basically a who's who of Greek and Roman gods, philosophers, politicians, and heroes.  It gives each character a profile and several examples of their appearances in art throughout the ancient world and neoclassical revivals.  You will be tested on this material in the first week of school.

You are responsible for acquiring all three of the books listed above.  The best option is to contact a student from last year's course and buy from them.  You could also use EBay or Half.com, or you could go a library.  You will be assigned readings, essays, and other work over the summer to prepare for this course.  All assignments can be found at http://clarkeaparthistory.blogspot.com/.  It is your responsibility to check the site at least once a week for new assignments.  All summer assignments must be typed and emailed to me at christopher.clarke@redclay.k12.de.us by midnight on the due date unless otherwise specified (blog assignments, etc). I recommend creating an account and "following" my blog.

This course will be challenging and require a great deal of commitment for both you and me.  This summer work may seem intense now but practice in formal analysis and writing about art, as well as becoming familiar with Greco-Roman and Christian themes will make the school year MUCH easier for you.  While this course can be taxing, if you are dedicated and up to the challenge it will be a rewarding and fun course that could earn you college credit!  I promise to do my best work this year and I expect the same from you in return.

                                                                                                                        See you in August!
                                                                                                                                    Mr. Clarke