Compare and constrast
In this activity you'll compare and contrast two works of art. Comparing and contrasting two works of art means thinking about their similarities and differences. More than a simple list of similarities or differences of two works of art, comparing and contrasting is a way to think about a work of art. Comparing helps you look for meaning in two works of art. Art historians often use comparisons to decide who made a work of art or when it was made. The point of the comparison is to understand the works of art more completely. What to compare? When comparing and contrasting two works of art, start with the way things look. Use the worksheet and fill out sections that seem to address the works of art you are comparing. Look for more information in books, encyclopedias, or the Internet (this site for example). Try to find some new meaning, or see something important that you would not have understood without comparing. More help Try an outline. Make a list of the ideas or you think of as you compare the works of art. Remember, comparisons are not just lists. Write down similarities and differences between the works. Then organize them into an outline. Or try brainstorming. Make a list of all the ideas and questions that come up as you examine two works of art. Pick out the ideas that form patterns. The point of brainstorming is to think of everything first and then weed out your ideas. Read A Compare and Contrast Example to get you started. Ready, set, compare: Sphere and Cycle of Life - Armillary Sphere Duluth Living Room and Wu Family Reception Hall Window from the Little House and Minnesota in 3/4 Time Purcell-Cutts House and Idea House and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Martin Puryear Minneapolis Sculpture Garden Entry and William Church Osborn Memorial Playground Gateway Indian Hunter and His Dog sculpture and Indian Hunter and His Dog in Cochran Park
Designing Spaces and Places | Inner Worlds | Environment | What is Art | Identity