Professional Art Historians

Words: 2298
Pages: 10

Hypothetically, if I were to become a professional art historian, I would want to use cultural history and formalism for my methodologies. I think that cultural history would particularly be a good fit for me because I love to travel, meet new people, and become immersed into communities that are unfamiliar. I was raised in a very large, but tightly knit Filipino family. From a young age I had to quickly adapt, and interact with relatives from that are from the other side of the world. I became used to interacting with bizarre cultures and customs that were not typical of a mid western community. I believe that cultural experiences can enrich a person’s attitude about global issues, and allows people to become more open minded about new …show more content…
I find it can be frustrating when you meet individuals who seem to become locked into a bubble of awareness and become blinded on outside perspectives. Living in the mid west, I have noticed more and more of these people around me in local communities. This is why I think it is critical to share the information I learn from cultural experience and research with my readers. There is something about traveling abroad, and experiencing new cultures that broadens the mind in ways that cannot be taught in a classroom. It is important to give readers the opportunity to open their mind to new ideas and be accepting of radical art movements and artwork, because we are living in a contemporary era where almost anything goes and people can become offended quickly by some works of art. Being able to educate readers and potentially equip them with the cultural knowledge may help to persuade their judgment to better understand the significance of the artwork, instead of making assumptions. This is why I believe writing with a cultural history approach could be a good fit for me. Cultural interactions and anthropology in general, seem to be topics I have a general interest in, and also thoroughly enjoy reading …show more content…
I often practice this approach during class critiques, where typically the class will follow the format of formal analysis and it has become second nature to me when evaluating works of art. Approaching art with a formal analysis mindset also helps me become more detached from the works of art I make, and also the work I am critiquing because it allows me focus the artwork’s physical features instead of trying to analyze the intent of the artist. I also notice it was much easier for me to write in this style because I am naturally a creature of detail, and that is what this approach compliments. Formal analysis is a perfect place to channel this attention to details, and write about physical attributes that makes up the physical details in the works of art. If I were to pick a role model for this style it would be Clement Greenberg. He is known to be closely associated with American modern art. I think I would try and mimic his approach to abstract expressionism, and apply it to contemporary glass