In this essay I will be discussing the art chosen and its methodologies. The term methodology may be defined as the process of trying to answer questions. The piece above is entitled “Mother & Child” by J.Mcleod. In this piece the methodology of formalism is used. Formalism may be defined as the design elements of the art work which include: composition, material, shape, line, color and perspective rather than its representation of a figure or nature. The contextual method of this piece would be Feminism as it relates to the essential focus of the subject (the mother) and its femininity. This art piece shows love and strength between both mother and child. Although this is indeed a simple form of art the form and design speaks volumes throughout the actions of the Mother and the child which brings out the previous points based on the methodologies stated above.
Bibliography
Hucke. C (2016). Art History Methodologies. Retrieved from http://emchistoryofartsurvey.pbworks.com/w/page/68565160/Syllabus%20-%20History%20of%20Art%20Semester%20Semester%201
The work of art that I chose was done by Michael Parchment entitled “No Woman Nuh Cry” (2005) which was done on hardwood by using oil paint. The two art historical methodologies that will be used are formalism and conceptualism. According to Pitard, when speaking about art in context, it looks at under what circumstances the art was created and what was its purpose or function. Questions such as, what was the political, religious or social context in which the work was created? What is the subject? What political, religious and/or social messages are being conveyed through the subject matter? etc. would be thought about when looking at the work using this type of method. While formalism looks at elements & principles of the work such as composition, style and the artist’s manipulation of media used.
As seen in the painting’s title, “No Woman Nuh Cry” is a famous Bob Marley song used as reference as well as the subject of the painting being Bob Marley surrounding by what seems to be his children and the mother of his child/children. Based off of Anne D’Alleva’s text “Contextual Analysis`’, my guess is that Parchment decided to use Bob Marley’s song lyrics to comment on the country’s social life at the time in which the city of Kingston endured a lot of violence due to social and political reasons.
These are my references
http://www.ssacad.com/Images/Interior/ap%20summer/methods_of_art.pdf D’Alleva, A. (n.d.). The Fundamentals of Art History. Prentice Hall.Michael Parchment, “No Woman Nuh Cry” (2005)
The art piece chosen above is none other than the infamous “Redemption Song” sculpture. Which could be found in the heart of Kingston Jamaica at the Emancipation Park, the piece above is a smaller replica of the famous sculpture done by artist Laura Facey. The replica stands in the sanctuary of the National Art gallery of inner Kingston. The methodologies used to execute this piece are from D’alleva’s “Formal Analysis” and “Contextual analysis” text.
Scale is the relative size of the work, the scale is used to emphasize certain elements in the art piece. The redemption sculpture, two naked 7ft-high bronze figures – a male and a female – looking skywards on a dome-shaped fountain embossed with Bob Marley’s lyrics “None but ourselves can free our minds”.
The contextual analysis, aims to understand the cultural moment of the art piece. In this methodology, the sculpture represents the black cultural aspect of Jamaican culture, the 2 figures are black slaves seen as more than likely ancestral beings.