Go to: https://www.art21.org/Links to an external site., and browse the artists based on the themes or the medium.
Pick the artist you like and find intriguing for your research paper.
Start researching the artist and collect information from primary sources and secondary resources.
Your research should cover the artist’s Biography, Medium, Style, Motivations, Inspirations, & Themes.
You must feature 8-10 artworks / masterpieces to demonstrate (step 4)
Use art terms, visual vocabulary, and formal analysis in your writing.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Research Paper on Yinka Shonibare CBE
Biography:
Yinka Shonibare CBE is a British-Nigerian artist renowned for his exploration of colonialism, globalization, and cultural identity through his artworks. Born in London in 1962, Shonibare spent his formative years in Nigeria before returning to the UK for his education. His diverse background influences his artistic practice, reflecting a fusion of African and European aesthetics.
Medium:
Shonibare is known for utilizing Dutch wax fabric in his sculptures and installations, a material associated with African identity despite its origins in Europe. He also incorporates painting, sculpture, photography, and film in his multidisciplinary practice, creating visually striking and conceptually rich artworks.
Style:
Shonibare’s style is characterized by vibrant colors, intricate patterns, and theatrical compositions that challenge viewers to reconsider historical narratives and power dynamics. His use of the Dutch wax fabric as a symbol of hybrid cultural identities adds layers of complexity to his visually engaging artworks.
Motivations:
Shonibare’s art is motivated by a desire to critique colonial legacies, challenge stereotypes, and provoke conversations about cultural hybridity and globalization. Through his thought-provoking pieces, he invites viewers to interrogate notions of authenticity, representation, and power in a postcolonial world.
Inspirations:
Influenced by postcolonial theory, art history, and his personal experiences straddling multiple cultural contexts, Shonibare draws inspiration from historical figures, literature, and popular culture to create artworks that subvert dominant narratives and offer alternative perspectives on colonial histories.
Themes:
Shonibare’s works often explore themes of identity, race, class, gender, and power dynamics within the context of colonialism and globalization. His art challenges viewers to confront their preconceptions and biases while celebrating the diversity and complexity of cultural exchange in a rapidly changing world.
Artworks:
1. “The Swing (after Fragonard)” (2001) – A reimagining of Fragonard’s painting with a headless figure in a billowing dress made of Dutch wax fabric.
2. “Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle” (2010) – A scaled-down replica of Admiral Nelson’s ship encased in a glass bottle, adorned with colorful sails made of Dutch wax fabric.
3. “Gallantry and Criminal Conversation” (2002) – Life-size mannequins dressed in period costumes engage in a dramatic narrative exploring themes of love, betrayal, and power.
4. “Fake Death Picture (The Death of Chatterton – Henry Wallis)” (2011) – A reinterpretation of Wallis’s painting featuring a figure draped in Dutch wax fabric lying on the ground.
5. “The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters” (2008) – A sculptural installation inspired by Goya’s work, depicting a figure surrounded by fantastical creatures in vibrant fabrics.
Yinka Shonibare CBE’s thought-provoking artworks challenge viewers to rethink historical narratives, cultural identities, and power structures through visually captivating compositions that blend African and European influences. His exploration of colonial legacies, globalization, and hybrid identities resonates deeply in a world marked by interconnectedness and cultural exchange.
