Textbook Entry Assignment (1 Viewer)

[Relinadus]

The Assignment is:

++You have been approached by international publishers Craftsman House to produce a double-page spread for a senior textbook dedicated to the study of “Australian Landscape: Friend or Foe?”.

· Find and photocopy an image of ONE artwork by that artist. This image must be included in the double-page spread. The artwork must be a painting.
· Under a sub-heading “Critical Study” provide a description and interpretation of the selected artwork.
· Under a sub-heading “Historical Study” provide an explanation of how this work reflects the Australian landscape. Referencing the concept “Friend or Foe”, consider the idea that the Australian landscape is both a place of beauty yet also a place of extreme hostility. Include a brief outline of the artists’ background (locate them within a historical time and place).++

The Marking Criteria is:

++Through written and visual illustration, the student has demonstrated a sophisticated level of understanding of the conventions of art history and art criticism.
The student has indicated a highly developed and well reasoned understanding of how the agencies of the art world are related in regard to investigation of accepted conventions and traditions within a given historical context.++

I don't understand the highlighted parts... what conventions? What traditions?
How can you show how the agencies of the art world(artists, artworks, audience, world) are related? Related to what?
Okay, the background I can understand, but how do you interpret a traditional painting based soley the landscape with no add ins?

 

[imnotwallace]

Consider the frames. You'll mainly want to go after the Structural Frame in this. Also consider the influence of the artist's world.

For instance, Eugene von Gerard did a few Australian landscapes. His paintings were very European in style, hence he depicted the landscape as soft, green glowing and all pantheistic-like. Kind of reflects his European influence and idealisation of the Australian landscape.

This is different to the Heidelberg school of Australian landscape art which focused more on a "plein air" style with emphasis on a true depiction on the Australian landscape as it is. Australia is a harsh country and prior to the Heidelberg school of art there were few if any paintings that accurately captured the Australian landscape. (mostly since they don't know how to handle lighting in an Aussie setting)

For landscapes, look at the lighting, sense of scale, foregrounding, colour palette or even the subjects of the painting (von Gerard painted tons of kangaroos in one of his landscapes, which was obviously unrealistic but clearly established his zest for Australiana)