Michael DeGennaro- Post#4 / Art 1010

What is formal analysis? In your own words explain what we mean when we say formal analysis and what its components are

When looking at a piece of artwork, we notice several physical elements of the work.  Take “The Starry Night” by Vincent van Gogh for example.  Our eye draws us to noice the texture of swirls in the wind, the contrasts of color including the different shades of blue in the sky, a bright, radiating yellow sun, and a dark green/black mountain range.  We notice the physical definition of fore, middle and backgrounds, and begin to think about why van Gogh emphasized the Alpilles mountains, and much more. Was Van Gough depicting a windy, fall night?  Formal Analysis is defined as questioning and seeking answers to these visual and physical elements of a piece of artwork and determining the message that the artist is trying to convey.  Line including emphasis and contour, color including identifying different hues, space/mass including dimension, form (weight and volume), and scale in terms of relative size of objects are all elements that we as the viewers take into consideration. Together, these elements make up a composition, the piece of artwork itself.  When analyzing these elements, we as the viewers determine the artists intended visual effect.  For example, why things are emphasized using colors and other features, the emotion that the piece portrays, and the perception of the piece.  We as the viewers begin to contextualize and interpret the answers to these questions based on our personal experiences and education.   For example, I could think that van Gogh is painting a fall night, because of what I imagine a fall night being, certain shades of blue, and the weather itself, but my sister could think it is a summer night, based on her perception.  In formal analysis, we determine what the artist is trying to accomplish through his or her visual.