Assignment: Field research & Reading Linear Works

1. What does the author mean when they state: “Our distance from certain works plays a big part in whether we perceive them as linear.” ?

This statement has to do with the concept of perspective. Depending on the angle/distance one looks at an object, the relationship of the object with its environment also varies and thus recognize its linear quality. 

2. Find an example in NYC that supports the author’s aforementioned statement and take a photo or do a drawing of this example of linear form from a distance. Print it out and add it to your sketchbook and create a post on your learning portfolio.

3. According to the author, what visual elements allow us to see edges of things as lines?

What allows us to see edges as lines is differences in value- in relative lightness and darkness. Edges are the lines along which two planes or pieces of materials meet. A line in relation to shadows define the edges of lines bordering it, so it can be defined as a line. 

4. Find an example in NYC that demonstrates the notion of “implied lines” and “directional lines”, take a photograph or do a drawing of each example, upload here and print out and paste it into your sketchbook.

implied lines:

directional lines:

5. Find an example in NYC that demonstrates the notion of “quick” and “slow” lines, take a photograph or do a drawing of each example, upload here and print out and paste it into your sketchbook.

slow lines: 

fast lines:  

6. Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and find the sculpture Ugolino and His Sons, by the sculptor Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, take multiple photographs of this sculpture from different points of view, including one with you in the photo pointing out the implied lines, upload them to your learning portfolio, and print them out, and add them to your sketchbook.

(Ugolino and His Sons are visiting France)

7. While visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, look for and photograph examples of how the museum displays artifacts.  Consider how these different displays represent an archive and tell a story.  Upload these images to your learning portfolio and add them to your sketchbook.

The way the Metropolitan Museum of Art displays most of its artifacts are very simply laid out. It is usually evenly spaced, creating spacial harmony among the objects. They are displayed in containers that are sometimes able to be walked around from all sides to see a 360 view; others can only be seen from the front view. Particularly, the way the Egyptian artifacts are displayed is successful in telling a linear story in the way each object is placed in relation to the next. Some evoke a color family, some are from the same time periods, others are organized by cultural/ritual specific categories. I found the way these were diversely displayed were successful in clearly showing the nature of the artifacts and organized by category. 

this last example is from a flea market some time ago. Just thought this organization of objects was interesting so I threw it in.