Maxfield Parrish

A LIFE STORY:

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was the son of painter and etcher Stephen Parrish. He began drawing for his own amusement as a child. His given name was Frederick Parrish but he later adopted the maiden name of his paternal grandmother, Maxfield, as his middle name, and later as his professional name. His father was an engraver and landscape artist, and young Parrish's parents encouraged his talent. He attended Haverford College, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and Drexel Institute of Art. He entered into an artistic career that lasted for more than half a century, and which helped shape the Golden Age of illustration and the future of American visual arts.
He lived his entire life at his New Hampshire home/studio at The Oaks with his wife, who died in 1953, and his mistress and model, Sue Lewin, who survived his death in 1966 at age 95. He was by all accounts a charming and intelligent man whose writings add a great deal to the text in Ludwig's book.

Why we look at art?

St. Declans College

Why we look at Art, what does the work want me to know?

A lot of people who study art concentrate on the history, biography and formal analysis of styles etc: That's all very interesting for some people but what we see and actually feel is just as important, even if we don’t have the factual information about the piece. You or I who are the viewers of an art work have an important roll to play. Every art work has a pictorial expression that all viewers have access to, whether of not we have the facts.
What each of us see and actually feel by looking at a work of art is important.
When we look at a work of art for the first time we notice things, we can point things out, but more importantly we are individuals, therefore we all have and can express a feeling about an art work, without having to have all the facts pointed out to us first. Misreading a work of art is not something to be afraid of, sometimes if you get caught up in all the factual information about the work it can intimidate us and not allow us to express our first reactions/ feelings to the art work. We actually just need to trust our instincts more!

Why do the great works of arts still endure? Why will great works of art be around longer than you or me? It’s because somehow they can tap into us and reminds us that we, all of us have a response. We can like, hate, relate but most importantly of all we can respond to the art work.



Task


For your project, you are required to begin by selecting one Art Work of your choice, one that speaks to you in some way /that you personally find interesting and then discuss it in the form of an essay, as to why you think this work is important.

Then you must gather research on your chosen work, this might be in the form of internet research, books magazines etc. You are required to write a minimum of a two page written essay on your chosen artist, which can include Historical information, training, style. As part of your research you are asked give your own opinion about the chosen work and also to describe the work in detail.

After you have completed you essay, you must use this selected research and make a summary -power point presentation, to include at least 5 slides, which you will then use to present you selected art work and why you think this work is important to your class. The power point and delivery will be graded.



SUMMARY


1. Select art work and explain why you think its important in the form of a two page essay to include  visuals of the work.(100marks)
2. Make and save a power point presentation from the above research. (50 marks)
3. Present you power point with your thoughts/opinions to your class.(50marks)

Total 200 marks.

Collage project evaluation

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