According to the text, most artists assume one of four roles or a combination of the four. (Sayre) The first role that an artist undertakes is to help us see the world in new and innovative ways. The second role mentioned in the text is how artists make a visual record of people, places, and events of their time and place. The third role of the artist, is to make functional objects and structures more pleasurable and elevate them with meaning. The fourth role of the artist is to give form to the immaterial which is defined as universal truths, spiritual forces and personal feelings. (Sayre)
The textbook, A World of Art, provides several examples for each of the four roles that artists assume. The book mentions Picasso’s, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, as an example of personal feelings and spiritual truths. He was able to find freedom of expression from both current, and classical French influences, and was able to make his own path. (Pablo Picasso).
The text cites the coffin by Kane Kwei as a functional object with an elevated meaning. At first glance, it would appear to be a cocoa pod with the elaborate carpentry work. The examples of visual art mentioned in the text include the sculpture of Pat, by Ahearn and Torres. The object captures the likeness of the individual, and brings the inanimate object to life. The Gates, by Christo and Jeanne-Claude created a visual golden river that disappeared and reappeared throughout Central Park. The Gates were pictures that allowed the people to become part of the work of art as they passed through. (Goddard)
The Term Paper on Text Analysis Art for Heart’s Sake
The author of the extract under analysis is an American sculptor, cartoonist and writer Reuben Lucius Goldberg (1883-1970). Rube Goldberg began practicing his art skills at the age of four when he traced illustrations from the humorous book History of the United States. After graduating from the University of California in 1904 he worked as a cartoonist for a number of newspapers and magazines. ...
Works Cited:
Sayre, Henry M. “A World of Art.” Sayre, Henry M. A World of Art. Boston: Prentice Hall, 2012. 4.
Pablo Picasso. 2009. 25 October 2012 .
Goddard, Donald. Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Gates Central Park, New York City. 2005. 25 October 2012
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