Grammar for Writing: Level Orange — Chapter 14

A Survey of American Art ©2001 Estate of Alexander Calder/Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY Myxomatose, by Alexander Calder, 1953. The United States has its share of world-famous painters and sculptors who have depicted American life and explored shape and form in styles uniquely their own. Among these artists, for example, are Winslow Homer, Louise Nevelson, Grant Wood, George Segal, Grandma Moses, Alexander Calder, Jackson Pollack, Andy Warhol, Georgia O'Keefe, Andrew Wyeth, and Edward Hopper. Which American artist's work speaks to you most, touching your mind or emotions? Why? One fascinating way to learn about art is to compare and contrast works of two different artists. Investigate the world of American art. Look at the works of painters or sculptors of the past, as well as contemporary artists, and choose two whose work you admire. Learn about each artist's life and work. Then write a two-page essay comparing and contrasting their painting or sculpting styles. STEP 1: Initial Search Begin your research with visits to the following websites: Smithsonian American Art Museum Search for artists and their works. Whitney Museum of American Art Search for artists and their works. Resource Library Magazine Search for articles on individual artists or styles. Search for information about American art. Take notes on specific artists, including their styles and subjects, as well as on art movements in America. STEP 2: Focus Your Search Choose two painters or sculptors and search the Internet for more information on them. Explore other resources, such as art history books, an encyclopedia, and newspaper and magazine articles. Collect information on different American schools of art, statements about the artists by others, and reviews of some of their works. STEP 3: Define Your Audience Make your essay interesting to a high school audience. Although your audience may know what type of art appeals to them, they may not have much experience in analyzing art. It is your job to explain clearly the content and style of each artist's work. Make your writing style informative and serious. STEP 4: Venn Diagram A compare-and-contrast essay should reveal both similarities and differences between two topics. To help organize your thoughts, make a Venn diagram that clarifies the similarities and differences between the work of the artists you have chosen. Write what you know about each artist's work in two overlapping circles. Note the similarities in the area where the circles overlap, and the different facts for one artist in one circle and the details for the other artist in the other circle. Titles of works of art are among the many items that require italics or underlining. Be sure you are aware of these rules. (See Grammar for Writing, Level Orange, page 261.) In comparing and contrasting two works of art, or any two topics, professional writers use parallel structure to explain differences and similarities clearly. You might ask: "How is the artists' use of color the same? How is it different? How does each painter handle light and dark?" Look for differences between abstract and realistic painting and sculpture. You may want to ask an art teacher to help you identify the various elements of style in painting or sculpture. STEP 5: Organize Your Ideas and Write a Rough Draft Use your Venn diagram to help develop an outline; follow the outline when you write the rough draft. Be sure you use parallel structure to compare and contrast the works of the two artists. Write a conclusion stating which artist's work you prefer and why. Grant Wood, American, 1891-1942, American Gothic, Friends of American Art Collection. All rights reserved by The Art Institute of Chicago and VAGA, New York. STEP 6: Revise, Edit and Proofread Your Writing Reread your essay. Be sure that you have included the most important elements of each work discussed and that you have clearly stated the similarities and differences. Edit your writing for grammatical errors; then proofread your work carefully for spelling, punctuation, and capitalization errors. STEP 7: Publish Your Work Present your essay along with photos of sculptures or paintings by each artist. Be prepared to make a presentation comparing and contrasting their work to the class. Copyright ©2007 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.