You will act as a curator and curate an art exhibit on the topic of IDENTITY and the ways in which visual culture reflects and engenders identity. Choose three artworks or popular culture images based on the following criteria that impact you and affect your understanding of identity in some way. Label each image and then answer the following questions for each image. Your writing needs to be thoughtful and analytical. Support your analysis with information from class readings and discussions. Follow general MLA formatting guidelines and edit your writing so that your thoughts are clearly expressed (pay attention to syntax). Label all images with: Artist. Title. Date. Media, dimensions.
Image 1: Personal Identity
- Choose an image that reflects one way in which you understand your identity (individual, relational, cultural, social, political, etc.).
- Briefly summarize the main ideas associated with the visual image (think about formal qualities, function, content, and context)?
- Why did you choose this visual object/image? How is it representative of your identity? How does this image interact with the theories of identity discussed in class and in readings? In your response, make one specific reference to a theory of identity.
Image 2: Deconstructing Identity
- Choose an image that challenges notions of identity as represented by dominant culture (think about gender, class, race, status, sexuality, ethnicity, etc.)
- Briefly summarize the main ideas associated with the visual image (think about formal qualities, function, content, and context)?
- How does this image break with dominant culture? How does the image expand notions of identity? How does this image interact with the theories of identity discussed in class and in readings (make one specific reference to another theory of identity)?
Image 3: Empathy
Art and visual culture play a powerful role in enabling the viewer to connect empathetically to a person or people perceived as different or outside of the viewer’s own experience.
- Select an image that you believe helps you to empathize with a person or people different from yourself.
- Briefly summarize the main ideas associated with the visual image (think about formal qualities, content, and context)?
- Why did you choose this image? How does the image you selected move you toward empathy for another?
