Essays and Research Papers on Social Issues In Art

A six page paper looking at this nineteenth-century African-American artist in terms of the presence of racial motifs in his art, particularly his painting 'The Land of the Lotus-Eaters.' The paper presents both sides of the argument, but concludes that Duncanson was primarily concerned with evoking the beauty of nature, not making a social commentary. ...

(5 pp) In this paper we will be examining a short piece of text (Chauvet Cave: The Discovery of the World's Oldest Paintings - 1996) by Stephen Gould which involves both science and technology, yet we will examine this work from a rhetorical perspective, first as a singularity, then in light of a broader context. ...

This 6 page report discusses the comic actor Andy Kaufman (1949-1984). People who are aware of Andy Kaufman appear to have one of two attitudes about him -- they love him, thought him to be a comic genius, and are certain he was greatly under-estimated. The other attitude is that Kaufman was tiresome, a mediocre talent, and are certain he ...

(5 pp) David and Goya reflect opposite ends of the emotional and political spectrums, concerning the nature of war, in their works, the neoclassical, Oath of the Horatii, and the romantic, May Third 1808. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

(6 pp) Newsflash! Holy high heels Batman! We have new neighbors in Gotham City. DC Comics to Include Homosexual Couple! The comic book company that gave us Superman will now give us the first super heroes that will fight crime as a couple--not as in Batman and Robin ? but as ...

A 10 page research paper that examines the philosophy and aesthetic of French social commentator Jean Baudrillard, who is considered by many to be a major cultural critic of modern society. The writer presents various views on his social and artistic relevance. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

A 5 page research paper that takes the interesting form of a discussion between two friends on the topic of censorship. One friend advocates partial censorship of morally objectionable material; the other protests against any form of censorship. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

(7pp) Artists working in the early 20th century were engulfed in a tide of uncertainty and change. The outbreak of World War 1 in 1914 resulted in political, economic and social upheaval. Technological advances like the advent of the car, camera and electricity heralded new heights of modernization. The invention of the camera and dwindling ...

(5pp) Is it that life imitates art, or art that imitates life? It is a puzzle that has tweaked historians for a long time. There are instances where some clear cut parallels can be drawn. One of these is the connection and influence that can be made between German expressionism and the ...

(5 pp) Historically the Renaissance connects the middle ages and the modern times; it is that time period from about 1350 to 1650. The ideas and accomplishments of that period were amazing, and still remain astounding when we stop to consider them, for they provided the building blocks of some of the ideas ...

(6 pp) For more years than we would like to count, the arts have been used to reinforce gender and racial oppression. Some of the discrimination may be subtle, or so ingrained, that it is no longer noticed. Women in the visual arts have largely been presented, or shown, as "being gazed ...

A 5 page discussion of the impact of realism on audience passivity or action when viewing a film. Notes that audiences are the targets of cinematic production, production which combines both audio and video into a medium which require the human element in order to be experienced. Indeed audiences are impacted by both the ...

(8 pp) Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky , one of the most important innovators in modern art, played a pivotal role in the development of abstract art; some call him the father of abstract art. Consequently, Kadinsky also influenced abstract expressionism, a painting style of the late 1940s and 1950s in which abstract or ...

(7pp) Artists working in the early 20th century were swimming in a tide of uncertainty and change. The outbreak of World War 1 in 1914 resulted in political, economic and social upheaval. Technological advances like the advent of the car, camera and electricity heralded new heights of modernization. The invention of the camera and dwindling ...

(5 pp). When asked in an interview (Kreisler 2000), what is important about politics, John Tussman said that, "politics is the art of providing for the general welfare; and in principle is not competitive." However the "reality of what is happening now", according to Tussman is that politics is about "advantage and power." ...

(5 pp) You wouldn't think that a guy on a horse would cause much trouble in the Southwest. That is not the case concerning a larger than life-size statue of the Spanish conquistador Juan de Onate at a small museum in Alcade, New Mexico. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A five page paper which looks at the effect which the Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century had upon art, and the ways in which reactions against it such as the Art and Craft movement led to the development of Art Nouveau and the later combination of functional design with aesthetics which was exemplified in ...

This 10 page report discusses the work of the 19th century British painter J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851) and the fact that his work serves as a consummate example of what Romanticism in art was and is. Instead of simply recording what he saw before him, Turner was able to translate the scenes he painted into light-filled expressions of his own ...

A five page paper which looks at the extent to which the early impressionists were dependent on the patronage of individuals for the exhibition and preservation of their work, and the necessity for patronage in regard to art which does not have immediate popular appeal in the commercial market. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

( 10 pp.) No matter what the language that is assigned to the topic, the conundrum of "what is arts and what is crafts," seems to be philosophically cemented firmly in place. In the twenty first century we can say, that "most communications crafts begin as inventions and evolve slowly into art forms," ...

( 8 pp.) Our challenge in this discussion is to consider humor in light of "performance art." Consequently we will look at some people who by there own definition, are performance artists and see what conclusions we can draw about the role of humor in this art form. Bibliography lists 6 sources ...

A 7 page paper which discusses various aspects of fashion in the 20th century. The invention of nylon is discussed, as well as the liberation of women through WWII, and how economics effected fashion through the 20th century. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

9 pages in length. The separation between intelligence and creativity has long been considered quite vast, inasmuch as the two divergent applications do not typically intersect at any junction: One is intellectually adept or creatively talented, not both. This theory, however, has been somewhat shattered of late by contemporary ideology that claims there ...

(5 pp) The Renaissance (French for "Rebirth) is known as the period of the individual (1400-1650); in that man was no longer a "cog in the machine" enduring life, but rather, he viewed himself as a unique person, who could shape the world, as in fact shaped him, with the new knowledge that was ...

This 7 page paper considers how there is a need for the gaps between politics economics and culture to be resolved for cultural project to be successful. The paper discusses this using the example of the museum and exhibition sector in the United Kingdom, with examples such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and ...