ART IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE

Class, for this assignment, we'll be looking at art within a social context! Here are the rules.

First, you must choose a social group or movement. This can be a religious movement (E.g., a Christian denomination, Islamic sect, atheist group, etc.), political movement (either a specific political campaign, like Obama's Hope and Change or Trump's Make America Great Again; or a piece more generally related to the Democrat or Republican parties, or an affiliated group or third party), or otherwise cultural movement (e.g., Black Lives Matter, the Pro-Life movement, the Tea Party, Occupy Wall Street, etc.).

***********I PREFER BLACK LIVES MATTER******

Second, you must find a piece of art related to your chosen movement. We're looking for more than just a photograph or a campaign flyer - we want to find an illustration or art piece, with a particular artist, that reflects the ideas of your chosen movement. Add an image of this art to your paper.

Third, write and submit an assignment entry (2-3 pages long, aka 500-750 words long) that answers the following question:

1. Describe the art piece. [Hint: pretend you are describing the art piece to someone who cannot see it.]

2. Summarize the message you believe the artist was hoping to convey. Do you agree or disagree with this message, and why or why not?

3. Summarize the effectiveness of the art itself in communicating this message. Explain what about the art makes it effective, and what (if anything) is there in the art that you think could be improved or is (possibly) ineffective? [Even if you agree with the message of the artist, you may find that the art itself could do a better job communicating that message.]

4. Finally, discuss the role of art in general in social conversation. Is art an effective way of communicating social messages? Why or why not? What challenges must an artist consider when creating social art?

5. Use at least 3 separate, distinct references in this paper.

Preferred method: Typed, double-spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.

• Include a cover page containing the assignment title, your name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.

The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is:

• Recognize the influence of social conditions on the production and reception of modern art.