WP3 :: Art Background

My previous experience with art objects (i.e., paintings, sculptures, drawings, etc.) has been fairly limited. I have visited a handful of museums, both in the field trip setting during my K-12 education career as well as of my own accord during my young adulthood. I have developed an appreciation of the aesthetic qualities that art objects possess, and also a respect for the creative process that artists endure to produce their artifact. I am mostly interested in the story behind the art object; I feel that knowing more about the history and context of the object enrich my experience as a viewer. I believe it is beneficial for all observers of any type of artistic medium to understand the context in which the art object was created as well as the artist. Art is a personal experience; it is personal testimony of the artist and has the ability to connect on a personal level with those who view it. Sometimes I avoid attending art walks or art museums because I feel that I don't have enough time or background information to make the experience personal.

My experience in making art objects is even more minimal. The last art class I took was in elementary school. I consider myself to be a creative person and use my creativity to make crafts on occasion. I have previous experience with the performing arts. Generally speaking, I have no formal background in the visual arts. Because of this, I am very apprehensive towards the impending rhetorical analysis of an art object. During WP1 and WP2 I felt that the cultural and historical context of the photograph or comic was easier to uncover. I'm worried that I will not be able to find any culturally or historically relevant information in which to frame the art object that I will be analyzing. I am also concerned that the argument that the artist was making will not be as obvious. I suppose I'm prepared for a challenge, and look forward to the successful completion of this writing project.