American Art History_ Reading Assignment 3 (1)
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Florida State College at Jacksonville *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
2050
Subject
Arts Humanities
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
4
Uploaded by SuperBookCat28
1.
Authorship is important when assessing a work of academic writing. Who is Kristen Buick?
Kristen P. Buick is a scholar and professor of art history. More specifically, “is a professor of art history at the University of New Mexico where she has taught since 2001” (
Kirsten Buick – Department of Art – College of Fine Arts – the University of New Mexico
, n.d.). She has several publications for different artists and their exhibits. Her profile claims that “Her work has been included in anthologies such as The Routledge Companion to African American Art History edited by Eddie Chambers; and in Race and Vision in the Nineteenth Century edited by Shirley Samuels” (
Kirsten Buick – Department of Art – College of Fine Arts – the University of New Mexico
, n.d.). 2.
What are the assessments of Lewis’s work and what are the flaws that Buick finds with them?
Kristen Buick's assessments of Edmonia Lewis’s works highlight her contributions as a pioneering African American and Native American sculptor in the nineteenth century. Buick critiques how Lewis's work represents or interprets cultural and historical subjects, examining whether there are nuanced or stereotypical portrayals. She touches on how well Lewis's sculptures engage with or respond to the social and political issues of her time, especially concerning race and identity. Buick says that, in the case of the racial representation of her sculptures, “Her decision” to do so “was a direct result of how she wanted herself to be perceived
as an artist and a person” (Buick, 1995). And for the gender conventions of the time “Lewis sought to enter the debate over who could legitimately represent those conventions in a voice both authoritative and autonomous” (Buick, 1995). Overall, in unraveling the layers of Lewis's artistry, Buick provides a distinct and comprehensive understanding of the sculptor's complex
engagement with the cultural and social dynamics of her time.
3.
Identify and state Buick’s thesis. Does her thesis have multiple parts? In other words, what is she attempting to prove in this article?
Kristen P. Buick begins her assessments with a quick introduction of the artist, Edmonia Lewis, and the question, “Why did Lewis eschew ethnological models?” Models who were “African American and Native American women.” Yet, “their features follow idealized, western European models” And, as stated by several scholars, “do not ‘look African’ or ‘look Indian’” (Buick, 1995). Buick uses the question at the end of the first paragraph as a starting point in order to delve into the reasoning behind Edmonia Lewis’s decision to create African American and Native American modeled sculptures with European features.
4.
Explain how Buick is able to support her thesis. What evidence does she put forth? What type of analysis is she making to support her argument? (in other words, formal analysis? Comparative? Contextual?) Explain. Buick supports her thesis using images of Lewis’s artworks, a formal analysis of them, and biographical information pulled from Edmonia Lewis’s life. Her formal analysis of Lewis’s works involve a detailed examination of the visual elements of the artwork, such as composition,
form, and technique. By closely analyzing the formal aspects of Lewis's sculptures, Buick was able to draw conclusions about the artist's stylistic choices and the visual language she employed.
Buick explored aspects of Edmonia Lewis's life and personal experiences as a means of understanding the motivations behind her artistic decisions. This approach considers how Lewis's
identity, background, and life circumstances influenced her work. 5.
Is her argument convincing? Why or why not?
Kristen Buick presents a compelling argument, supported by a thorough examination of her thesis. Her ability to enforce her claims with strong evidence enhances the persuasiveness of her perspective. Buick's unique and intriguing assessment of Edmonia Lewis's works adds depth to the discourse surrounding the artist. By offering a fresh viewpoint, Buick contributes to a more
precise understanding of Lewis's artistic contributions. In essence, Buick's argument not only convinces through its evidence but also enriches the overall appreciation of Edmonia Lewis's artistic legacy.
Sources
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
Buick, K. P. (1995). The ideal works of Edmonia Lewis: invoking and inverting autobiography. American Art
, 9
(2), 5–19. https://doi.org/10.1086/424241
Kirsten Buick – Department of Art – College of Fine Arts – The University of New Mexico
. (n.d.). https://art.unm.edu/profile/kirsten-buick/