Museum Paper (San Antonio Museum of Art)

1. The first work I found was the Stacking Chest (traditionally known as a Nong). The object is two identical chests stacked on top of each other, both usually on top of a stand the keep the bottom of the chests from touching the ground. The Nong was created in Korea around the late 18th century; traditionally owned by royal families and aristocrats during the Joseon and Choson dynasties. Korean chest makers crafted the Nong chests to focus on nature, to accentuate the woods natural hues and body to bring a sort of sophistication into the home. The chests were used to house clothing, priceless valuables, and important documents but were displayed very garishly in the homes as a ‘representative’ statement piece for the rich until the end of the 19th century. The second work I chose was the Mizusashi (A lidded container) created in 1948 by Sakiyama Takayuki. Takayuki crafted the Mizu from stoneware (a type of pottery clay); the container is used during Temae (Japanese tea room ceremonies) by the host to hold fresh cold water. The earliest use of these containers are dated back to the 16th century where the original Temae (Tea ceremony) began, the first ceramic tools to be used originated in China and were handed down for generations ending up in Japan. It is said that “many of the Japanese-made ceramics used in these ceremonies are unglazed stonewares first intended as utilitarian vessels for farmers.”, not even used for the Temae like the aristocrats and rulers in China. It wasn’t until the 17th century when the Japanese reinvented the firing process of their stoneware and the Mizusashi became an aesthetic artwork for tea practitioners to use in Temae. The element of texture is equally important in both pieces. The chest itself has added brass fittings that create actual texture on top of the shaven smooth wood, whereas, on the Mizusashi, its texture comes from the stoneware itself. In the firing process, the crackled surface without a glaze in between each curved line is different from the smooth glazed portions on top of the curved lines, both creating two different textures in each piece. The use of line in both pieces is also important because in each piece it creates a sense of structure, the lines in the chest are very geometric and architectural, where the lines in the Mizusashi are more organic and fluid which both help give a sense of form and depth to the pieces.

Another important thing:
If you’re referencing material found in research, then you should always provide a citation.  If you’re including a direct quote from a source, then you MUST use quotation marks around the text, and then provide a citation mark.  Otherwise, it would be considered plagiarism.   In general, you shouldn’t have more than one or two sentences of quoted text per page in an essay.

Here are the questions:  READ CAREFULLY !!!

From the list below, select THREE (and only three) questions to respond to. Your response to each artwork should consist of approximately one paragraph. Be sure to tell me which question you are answering, and identify each artwork by the label information provided by the museum. Answer all of the questions within the topic for each object selected.
Make sure that you answer only 3 of the 6 possible questions.  Please note that Question #6 is split into an A or B option.  You can only pick one of those.  For all the questions, you’re asked to find two different artworks as examples.  That will be a total of 6 different artworks.  Please don’t repeat the same work for multiple questions.

1. Locate two objects that have a function beyond serving an aesthetic or
devotional purpose (make sure each object serves a different function). Describe
each object: how was each made? How did it function? Next, discuss how two
formal elements operate in each work.

2. Compare and contrast two artworks that are dependent on two different
types of line. Identify each work by artist, title, medium, and date. Define the
type of line used in each work as actual (outline or contour) or implied. Define
the expressive nature of line in each work: is it rational and geometric, or
emotional and expressive? If the work is representational, describe how the line
quality relates to (defines or enhances) the subject depicted. If the artwork is
non-representational, assess how the line quality affects the formal composition.

3. Search for two portraits, one of which is two-dimensional (drawing,
painting, print) and one of which is three-dimensional (sculpture). Describe
each. Who is represented? Summarize how the individual is represented. Next,
discuss how two elements of art and are used in each portrait. How does the
medium contribute to the appearance of the portrait (e.g., an oil painting will have
very different qualities than a marble sculpture)?

4. Find two works of art; one two-dimensional (drawing, painting, print) and one
three-dimensional (sculpture). How does each work make use of space? In the
two-dimensional piece, is the artist rendering the illusion of three-dimensional
space? How? In either piece, what is the interplay between negative and
positive space? In the three-dimensional piece, think about how we, the viewers,
are supposed to interact in the space of the object.

5. Find two works of art that use two different color schemes – analogous,
monochromatic, complementary, or polychromatic. Identify each work by artist,
title, medium, and date. Identify the color scheme of each and describe
specifically how it makes you ‘read’ the artwork. Last, assess how the color
scheme is related to the subject matter and/or the form (if non-representational).
Think about how color enhances the subject and/or form. How does it contribute
to the content (meaning) of the work?

6.  This question has an A or B option.  Option A is about pattern.  Option B is about texture.  Please only pick one, do not write about both pattern & texture.
A)  Find two artworks in which pattern plays a vital role. Define how pattern is
created. Is pattern the result of the media used to create the artwork (for
example pattern may result from the weaving process in fiber art) or is it ‘applied€
(drawn, painted, carved, etc.)? Describe in detail the effect that pattern has on
the work of art (Does it create movement? Does it give structure to the work?
Does it direct your eye in a specific way)?
B)  Find two artworks in which texture plays a vital role. Define the texture as
actual or visual. How is the texture created? What does this element contribute
to the work?

I also attached an example how it should look. You can read the example but DO NOT use any words/ or try to copy some of it.