EXAM I

Spring 2000

This exam included a variety of questions, some of which required application of ideas from the course to new works not previously studied and identification of masterworks of art. The essays required analysis of the aesthetic of functionalism and, in the case, of question 1 from Group II, synthesis of more than one module within this unit. The essay topics in Group I also required synthesis of multiple disciplinary perspectives. Few students chose to write on the rhythm essay from Group I, and in the end of the term surveys, many students remarked on the difficulty of this unit. The most difficult material for them seemed to be the module on poetic use of meter and rhthym, while some students also found the integration of musical concepts with those from the visual arts (question 1 Group I) also difficult.

By far the strongest performance by all students was on the multicultural and interdisciplinary question dealing with color aesthetics. Students performed universally well on the visual arts component of this essay. Possible reasons for this are the active learning project on Yoruba aesthetics, which students not only remarked on frequently in the surveys as a postive learning experience, but also consistently integrated into their self-portrait projects. Students also tended to perform well on the essays dealing with the Cathedral of Chartres, the Egyptian Pyramids and, to a lesser extent, Islamic mosques. The materials on Chartres, thePyramids, and mosques focused on the visual arts with materials from other disciplines providing an historical context and also illuminating the symbolism of the structures. These modules were clear examples of cross-disciplinary work, which seems to be generally easier for students to master than units which required full integration of materials. Further, the exam questions required mastery of the module content presented in class. Later revisions to the course exams, as in spring 2001, focused more on ability to synthesize the entire unit of functionalism and considerable analytic skills. Students by and large had a much easier time digesting one module and attempting to put it within the framework of functionalism; however, I came to believe this sort of exam work was not promoting the course outcomes as fully as it might.

Part I: Short answer. 2 points each.

Please select the best response from the choices after each question, fill in the blank, or provide a short answer. Write your answers on your exam booklet and turn it in with your name and your blue book essays.

1. In this painting, most of the lines are: A. Vertical B. Diagonal C. Horizontal D. Wavy.

2. Which of the following pieces of music most closely reproduces the emotional affect of the paintings' lines based on its use of melodic lines? A. Example 1 B. Example 2

3. The colors blue and orange in this illumination are related to each other as colors on the color wheel.

4. The musical affect which most closely reproduces the affect of the color combinations in the illumination in question 3 is called: A. Consonance B. Minor tonality C. Major tonality D. Dissonance

5. Look carefully at this painting. Consider carefully its overall effect, and then choose which of the following pieces of music most closely reproduces that affect: A. Example 1 B. Example 2 C. Example 3

6. Which of the following poems through its use of rhythm, meter, and feet most closely captures the emotional affect of the painting in question 4 and the music you selected in question 5? A. B.

7. Which of the following examples below best represents musical dissonance? A. B.

8. Look carefully at this painting. Most of the lines this painting are: A. Vertical B. Diagonal C. Horizontal D. Wavy

9. Listen to the three musical examples below. Which of these examples best captures the affect of the painting in question 7 through its use of melodic line? A. Example 1 B. Example 2 C. Example 3

10. Look carefully at the following piece of art. What shapes are used in this work and where do you see them?

PART II ESSAY TOPICS

Please write a well-organized, coherent essay on ONE topic from EACH GROUP below. Be sure to analyze the relevant works of art and to present evidence from this analysis in support of your argument. (40 points each)

GROUP I:

1. Discuss the uses of color in the illuminations of Hildegard of Bingen, Yoruba bead work, and selected musical examples from our class sessions. What uses, purposes, or functions does color have in these art works, how are different colors and combinations of colors used in the works and in what ways or through what techniques does music achieve the same "color" affects as these works from the visual arts? How does the use of line contribute to the use of color in Hildegard's illuminations, the Yoruba bead work, or the musical examples you selected?

2. Discuss the use of rhythm in the arts and in other disciplines, specifically in African drum and dance music, speech, poetry, and other examples from life. Give several specific examples of the use of rhythm in the disciplines we studied to achieve emotional affects, and carefully explain the artistic devices used to create those affects. What does the poem Jaberwocky suggest about the use of rhythm to create meaning?

GROUP II:

1. Compare and contrast the function and purpose of two of the following Houses of Prayer: the Cathedral of Chartres, the Egyptian Pyramids, the Athenian Acropolis, and Islamic Mosques. Be sure to use all the available evidence from the art, history, architecture, religious texts, geology, geography, or other relevant sources of the time to support your argument. Be as detailed as possible, and explain the symbolism of the various architectural aspects of the Houses of Prayer through their use of color, line, shape, rhythm, numerical or mathematical relationships, or other elements of art. Finally, consider whether these Houses of Prayer can or should be considered a work of art, and upon what reasons you base your assertions.

2. Can or should we consider the pyramids of Egypt to be works of art? Based on available evidence, discuss and explain the possible purposes and function of the Egyptian pyramids. Be sure to cite as much evidence as possible to support your argument, including resources from archaeology, art history, history, religious texts, geology, and other disciplines. Discuss what relationship, if any, the purposes of the pyramids have to the question of whether they should or should not be considered works of art. Did the people who made them consider them art?

3. Can or should we consider Paleolithic cave paintings to be works of art? Based on available evidence, discuss and explain the possible purposes and function of the Paleolithic cave paintings of Lascaux. Be sure to cite as much evidence as possible to support your argument, including resources from anthropology, archaeology, art history, geology, and relevant artifacts. Discuss what relationship, if any, the purposes of the cave paintings have to the question of whether they should or should not be considered works of art. Did the people who made them consider them art?

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