Art 101 Essay

642 Words3 Pages
Brett Allison
09/01/2014
ART 101

1. Discuss the differences between a work of fine art and a work of folk art. What does the distinction between "fine" and "folk" really mean? Describe and give examples of each. Use examples from the text book and class discussions. You will need to cite your sources (ie (Author, pg#) and include a works cited.
There are many differences between fine and folk art. According to Lewis on page 21 of The Power of Art, fine art is a one of a kind or original piece that would probably be made on something of value by a trained artist unlike folk art. Folk art is usually made by an untrained artist on something less valuable than a fine art piece would be. “A black and white print by a great photographer, however, is far more valuable than the painting done by a mediocre artist.” (Lewis, 22) This explains one of the biggest distinctions between these two categories of art. Another example would be an artist called Grandma Moses. “Born on a farm in New York in 1860 but did not really begin painting until the 1930’s, when she was almost 80. Although she had no formal training, her pictures became so popular that by the time she died in 1961, she was a household name in the United States, and her scenes were reproduced on everything from greeting cards to kitchen curtains. Although she is not well known today as she was at the height of her popularity in the 1950’s, Grandma Moses’s talent transformed an elderly farm widow, suffering from arthritis, into a nationally famous personality.” (Lewis, 22) 2. Please discuss the difference between two and three-dimensional work. Include examples of materials used for each and how the artist applies the materials. Use examples to help solidify your description.

Artists are able to work with two kinds of space. Two dimensional art is flat like a canvas or wall and can only be viewed from
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