J. Meyer ArtH 492 CONTEMPORARY ART
ESSAY STUDY QUESTIONS FOR TEST #3Please note: only two of the three questions listed below will appear as choices on the upcoming exam. You will be asked to choose only one from those two.
1. The period of Postmodernism, beginning in the mid-1970s, saw the revival of interest in figurative art and in literary and psychological content to varying degrees in painting, sculpture, photography, and installation. With this in mind, discuss content and style in the works of Alfred Leslie, Anselm Kiefer, George Baselitz, Susan Rothenberg, and David Salle. How are image and style united in creating content, or, in some cases suggesting but not completing a narrative, in the works of these diverse artists? How might the term “Postmodern” accurately embrace these diverse artists? What various influences were important to each of these artists in the development of their style? Discuss specific works of art and make references to content to support your information.
2. In the period of the late 1970s and beyond, a number of artists freely appropriated styles and images from the past history of art and from popular sources. Such appropriation has been signaled as one of the characteristics of the Postmodernist period. With this in mind, discuss the use of appropriation by Alfred Leslie, Sherrie Levine, Mark Tansey, Cindy Sherman, and Jeff Koons. What is the nature and focus of their use of appropriation and what variety of sources do they appropriate from? How is content used in their pieces, and what variety of media are employed by these artists? Mention individual contributions by each artist and discuss specific works of art in your essay.
3. In the Postmodernist period of the late 20th century, numerous artists have utilized their artwork (photo images, sculpture, painting) to focus on issues of gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Discuss the variety of work by David Wojnarowicz, Robert Mapplethorpe, Cindy Sherman, Kara Walker, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, and Robert Gober in this context. How is the content of artwork by these artists reinforced by media and stylistic character? Note specific works where you can in your discussion.
NOTE: In preparation for the final exam, you will be expected to read the following material from the Brandon Taylor text: Chapter 6, “Marks of Identity: 1985-2000,” pp. 150-167 and 178 (beginning with the last paragraph)-182. The following artists pertinent to the exam are discussed: Robert Mapplethorpe, David Wojnarowicz, Robert Gober, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Kara Walker, Lari Pittman, Nancy Rubins, Robert Williams, Paul McCarthy, Raymond Pettibon, Jake and Dinos Chapman, and Damien Hirst.
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