Directions: in Your Paragraphs, You Can Describe the Work of Art Including Its Medium And

ART BEYOND THE EUROPEAN TRADITION PROJECT

Directions:

For your project, you will select three works of art from beyond the European tradition.

·  One must be a sculpture, one work of architecture, one painting.

·  You must describe the work of art including its medium and appearance (composition, artistic qualities).

·  You should discuss the meaning behind the work of art (Does it represent a religious, civic or philosophical concept? If so, what methods does the artist use to do this?).

·  You should also talk about the time period in which it was made (What were the values of the period in which it was made?).

These are just general guidelines for what you should be doing. Please keep in mind the types of essays for which these works of art can be used (religious objects, images of power, narrative in art, portraits, sacred spaces, etc.).

IMPORTANT: Remember this during the AP exam: If all else fails (like you blank out and can’t think of any of these examples that would be appropriate for the essay prompt), examples from ancient Near East and Egypt are also considered “art beyond the European tradition.” It’s just that the readers are looking for more students to go beyond the typical examples from the Near East and Egypt.

Possible long essays topics for ABET

For each of these long essays (essay #1 on the free response section), you must choose TWO appropriate examples of art, each from different cultures. ONE of your choices must be from BEYOND THE EUROPEAN TRADITION.

1.  Art has been used to represent scenes of violence and hostility for a variety of purposes. Explain how and why the art communicates hostility or violence. (2007)

2.  Representations of the natural world or nature motifs have been used by a variety of cultures. Explain why and how your example uses representations from the natural world or motifs from nature. (2006)

3.  Choose work that contains a narrative. Identify the subject of the narrative and discuss the means used to convey the narrative. (2005, 2013)

4.  Human body in art - Discuss significant aspects the culture that are revealed by the way in which the human body is depicted. (2004)

5.  The human body is often highly stylized or abstracted in works of art. Discuss the way the stylization or abstraction of the figures is related to cultural and/or religious ideas. (2003)

6.  Architecture to reinforce power and authority. Identify your example as fully as possible. Discuss the structure conveys power and authority. (2002)

7.  Sacred spaces for religious purposes – The design and appearance can vary greatly. Discuss the relationship between the appearance of the sacred space and its function. (2001, 2009) Pilgrimages – (2013)

8.  The visual representation of deities and holy personages is a feature of religious beliefs and practices throughout the world. Select and fully identify two examples of representations of deities or holy personages, in any medium, from two different cultures. (2011)

9.  Cultural attitudes about women are often revealed in art. Select and fully identify two works of art that depict one or more women. (2008)

Resources

Links to the ABET that the College Board has chosen as part of the revised curriculum starting in 2015 are posted in PDF form on my website. You may choose any of these for your project. If you want to choose a different work of art, please see me for approval first.