ARTWORK

Lead-in

  • Do you believe what art critics say? Why or why not?
  • If you could buy any work of art in the world, what would it be? Why?
  • Are you an artist?
    • If so, what kind of artist are you?
    • If not, what kind of artist would you like to be? Why?

Presentation

Pre

  • How often do you go to museums?
  • How was your last experience in one?

Top Down

  • What would be a good title for the text? Read it and find out.
  • Composition and Formal Analysis: What Can I See
  • Composition and Formal Analysis: What Can I Hear
  • Composition and Formal Analysis: What Can’t I See
  • Composition and Formal Analysis: What Can’t I Hear
  • Composition and Formal Analysis: What Can I See
  • Composition and Formal Analysis: What Can I Hear
  • Composition and Formal Analysis: What Can’t I See
  • Composition and Formal Analysis: What Can’t I Hear

Text

The first questions to ask in front of an artwork are: what do I see? What is it made of? And how is it realized? Let’s limit ourselves to an objective, accurate pure description of the object; from this preliminary formal analysis, other questions (and answers!) will arise.

  • You can ask yourself what kind of object it is, what genre; if it represents something figuratively or abstractly, observing its overall style.
  • You can investigate the composition and the form: shape (e.g. geometric, curvilinear, angular, decorative, tridimensional, human), size (is it small or large size? is it a choice forced by the limits of the display or not?), orientation (horizontally or vertically oriented).
  • The use of the space: the system of arrangement (is it symmetrical? Is there a focal point or emphasis on specific parts ?), perspective (linear perspective, aerial perspective, atmospheric perspective), space viewpoint, sense of full and voids, and rhythm.
  • You can observe its colors: palette and hues (cool, warm), intensity (bright, pure, dull, glossy, or grainy…), transparency or opacity, value, colors effects, and choices (e.g. complementary colors).
  • Observe the texture (is it flat or tactile? Has it other surface qualities?)
  • You can analyze the study of light (chiaroscuro, tonal modeling, light sourcing, atmosphere)or the type of lines (horizontal, vertical, implied lines, chaotic, underdrawing, contour, or leading lines)

After completing this observation, it is important to ask yourself what are the effects of these chromatic, compositional, and formal choices. Are they the result of randomness, limitations of the site, display, or material? Or perhaps they are meant to convey a specific idea or overall mood? Does the artwork support your insights?

Media and Materials: How the Artist Create?

First of all, the medium must be investigated. What are these objects? Architecture, drawing, film, installation, painting, performing art, photography, printmaking, sculpture, sound art, textiles, and more.

  • What materials and tools did the artists use to create their work? Oil paint, acrylic paint, charcoal, pastel, tempera, fresco, marble, bronze, but also concrete, glass, stone, wood, ceramics, lithography…The list of materials is potentially endless, especially in contemporary arts, but it is also among the easiest information to find! A valid catalog or museum label will always list materials and techniques used by artists.
  • What techniques, methods, and processes are used by the artist? The same goes for materials, techniques are numerous and often related to the overall feeling or style that the artist has set out to achieve. In a critical analysis, it is important to reflect on what this technique entails. Do not overdo with a verbose technical explanation.
  • Why did the artist choose to make the work this way and with such features (materials and techniques)? Are they traditional, academic techniques and materials or, on the contrary, innovative and experimental? What idea does the artist communicate with the choice of these media? Try to reflect, for example, on their preciousness, or cultural significance, or even durability, fragility, heaviness, or lightness.

Source

Bottom Up

  • True or False?

Example: There’s only one way to analyze what you see. False

  1. The possible list of materials is not big. There aren’t a lot of options and artists need to be creative.
  2. Techniques are numerous and often related to the feeling or style that the painter has set out to achieve.
  3. The first question to ask in front of an artwork is: “what do I see?” No other option is possible if you want to actually analyze an art piece.
  4. Horizontally or vertically oriented are orientation features.
  5. Bright, pure, dull, and glossy are color features.
  1. The possible list of materials is not big. There aren’t a lot of options and artists need to be creative. False
  2. Techniques are numerous and often related to the feeling or style that the painter has set out to achieve. True
  3. The first question to ask in front of an artwork is: “what do I see?” No other option is possible if you want to actually analyze an art piece. False
  4. Horizontally or vertically oriented are orientation features. True
  5. Bright, pure, dull, and glossy are color features. True

Post

  • What do you think about art galleries? 
  • What are the differences between art galleries and museums?

Target Language

The Gerund

The gerund is used in a variety of ways, out of which the following stand out:

  • as the subject of a sentence

  • as the object of a sentence

  • when the verb follows a preposition

  • after certain verbs (enjoy, like, love, keep, prefer, miss, avoid, etc.)

Examples:

  • Swimming is my favorite free time activity.

  • I don’t really appreciate reading books.

  • What do you think about taking a road trip?

  • I avoid drinking during week days.

Talking About Art

Adjectives to describe art (pay attention to the stressed syllables):

  • controversial
  • lifelike
  • vivid
  • depressing
  • confusing
  • exceptional
  • universal
  • original
  • pretentious
  • striking
  • accessible
  • superficial

Types of art

Controlled Practice

  • Match the adjectives with their meaning. There is one example.

  1. Lifelike

  2. Vivid

  3. Exceptional

  4. Pretentious

  5. Striking

  6. Superficial

(   ) Attracting attention by reason of being unusual, extreme, or prominent.

(   ) Appearing to be true or real only until examined more closely.

(1) Very similar to the person or thing represented.

(   ) Unusually good; outstanding.

(   ) Intensely deep or bright.

(   ) Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed.

  1. Lifelike

  2. Vivid

  3. Exceptional

  4. Pretentious

  5. Striking

  6. Superficial

(6) Attracting attention by reason of being unusual, extreme, or prominent.

(5) Appearing to be true or real only until examined more closely.

(1) Very similar to the person or thing represented.

(3) Unusually good; outstanding.

(2) Intensely deep or bright.

(4) Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed.

Freer Practice

  • Complete the sentences according to your opinion.
    • My favorite type of art is…
    • I love looking at…
    • Going to museums is…
    • Painting is…
    • Sculptures are…
    • Street art makes my city…
    • Taking pictures is…

Production

  • Look at the following pieces of art and talk about them using the Target Language.

Example: These colors are vivid and…

Homework

Choose the correct answer. 

Example: She is thinking about walking / to walk tomorrow morning. > She is thinking about walking tomorrow morning.

  1. I can’t stand missing / to miss an episode of Game of Thrones. 
  2.  It’s easy understanding / to understand why he got lost in this city. 
  3. I hate sharing / to share a dessert. Why don’t you get your own? 
  4. I learned to drive / driving with my father. My mother had no patience. 
  5. I spent all evening watching / to watch a documentary about planet Earth.  
  1. I can’t stand missing an episode of Game of Thrones. 
  2.  It’s easy to understand why he got lost in this city. 
  3. I hate sharing a dessert. Why don’t you get your own? 
  4. I learned to drive with my father. My mother had no patience. 
  5. I spent all evening watching a documentary about planet Earth. 

Complete the sentences below by using “Play”, “Cook”, “Wait”, “Clean” and “Tidy” in their gerund form.

Example: I spent all evening ____ a documentary. (Watch) > I spent all evening watching a documentary.

  1. The children finished ____ their bedrooms. 
  2. Frank and Sarah love ____ the guitar in the evenings.  
  3. We like ____ dinner for our family. 
  4. They don’t mind ____ in the queue for the ice cream. 
  5. I hate ____ the kitchen. 
  1. The children finished tiding their bedrooms.  
  2. Frank and Sarah love playing the guitar. 
  3. We like cooking dinner for our family. 
  4. They don’t mind waiting in the queue for the ice cream. 
  5. I hate cleaning the kitchen. 

Fill in the gaps with the words below. There is one example.

OFFERED – SPEAKING – SPENDING – TO GET – SUGGESTED – HATED

Lilah (1) hated  playing badminton because she often failed (2) ____ many points. It was embarrassing. Then, her friend Fatima (3) ____ to give her badminton lessons. Lilah and Fatima liked (4) ____ time together, so Lilah accepted Fatima’s offer. To make things equal, Lilah (5) ____ trading badminton lessons for English lessons. Fatima disliked (6) ____ English because she wasn’t good at it, so it was a good trade. 

Lilah (1) hated  playing badminton because she often failed (2) to get many points. It was embarrassing. Then, her friend Fatima (3) offered to give her badminton lessons. Lilah and Fatima liked (4) spending  time together, so Lilah accepted Fatima’s offer. To make things equal, Lilah (5) suggested trading badminton lessons for English lessons. Fatima disliked (6) speaking English because she wasn’t good at it, so it was a good trade. 

Put the words in the correct order to make sentences.

Example: up / iron. / large / a / turned / the / corrugated / barred / access / buyers / to / of / and / to / sheet / gallery / Art / critics / find / by > Art critics and buyers turned up to find access to the gallery barred by a large sheet of corrugated iron.

  1. on / is / digital / video, / sharp / amazingly / definition / and / lifelike. / picture / high / the / Shot
  2. superficial / Accordingly, / music, / harmony / texture / becomes / a / fundamental / the / melody / of / and / more / constituent.
  3. piece / sure / are / you / reading, / warrant / of / sections / mark / parts / confusing / a / that / to / or / reread. / Be / the
  4. enjoy / a / more / striking / even / art / most / giving / modern / gallery / the / popular / modern / undergone / rehang / world’s / to / opportunity / The / has / recently / art.
  5. landscape. / contributing / seen / as / art / be / street / the / to / positively / legitimate, / as / They / to / urban / want
  1. Shot on high definition digital video, the picture is amazingly sharp and lifelike.
  2. Accordingly, harmony becomes the fundamental texture of music, and melody a more superficial constituent.
  3. Be sure to mark confusing parts of the piece you are reading, or sections that warrant a reread.
  4. The world’s most popular modern art gallery has recently undergone a rehang giving the opportunity to enjoy even more striking modern art.
  5. They want street art to be seen as legitimate, as contributing positively to the urban landscape.

Find and correct the mistakes.

  1. Deupree, by contrast, has an exeptional ear for creating melodies and esoteric atmospherics. 
  2. A controverse poet has hired a personal minder after being rugby tackled in a drinker while reciting verse in a pub. 
  3. This combination and chemical and mechanical together with the artistic, is universal in line engraving. 
  4. Only trained eye can tell the difference between the origin painting and a good copy. 
  5. In midsummer the lilies reign, with blooms of vivids yellow, orange, maroon, and pink. 
  1. Deupree, by contrast, has an exceptional ear for creating melodies and esoteric atmospherics. 
  2. A controversial poet has hired a personal minder after being rugby tackled by a drinker while reciting verse in a pub. 
  3. This combination of chemical and mechanical together with the artistic, is universal in line engraving. 
  4. Only a trained eye can tell the difference between the original painting and a good copy. 
  5. In midsummer the lilies reign, with blooms of vivid yellow, orange, maroon, and pink. 

Writing

Write about your favorite type of art. Remember to use as much of the Target Language as possible.

Example: My favorite type is paintings. I love it when I see vivid colors and…