Discussion Posts (6 @ 5% = 30%)

Six times over the course of the semester, you will write a short, 250-word (unless otherwise noted) prompted discussion post reflecting on the readings and artwork(s) we are engaging with that week or on the research you will be completing this semester for your creative project. Prompts and discussion post threads will be available online. Discussion posts need not only consist of written words, but may also contain images, video, or other innovative components to help capture your thoughts visually. These posts will be a valuable opportunity for you to share your thoughts, reflections, and questions before meeting for class or with your groups.

Discussion Post 1: Descriptive Analysis, or What Do You See? (Due on or before 9/11)

Choose any single image/artwork from the virtual MoMA Museum or another museum in the Google Gallery link below and write a descriptive analysis of the piece to the best of your ability. Remember to include an image of the artwork you are focusing on in your post so the class can see what it is you are describing. Describe the work in your own words. What does it look like? Is it a representation of something specific? What is shown? Is it an abstraction of something? What is the subject and what aspects are emphasized, and how? What elements are most dominant? Note: This is not yet an analysis of the work. Here, you are trying to convey to the reader a sense of what the work looks like through a brief description. To phrase it like Berger: What do you see? Please do not include any outside research or historical/biographical context. Here, you are just describing what you see. 

MOMA’s Virtual Museum:
https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/moma-the-museum-of-modern-art
Google Galleries:
https://artsandculture.google.com/search/partner?em=m09c7w0&categoryid=place

Discussion Post 2: The High Line (Due on or before 10/4)

**Please note this post has two parts and should be a total of 400-500 words.

Part 1: Using one of the photos you took while visiting the High Line, either of the High Line aesthetic design OR of an artwork on display at the High Line, do a formal analysis (a la Barnet) of your own photo of the landscape or artwork, and consider how it relates to the aesthetic landscape of the High Line overall. What formal aesthetic elements are important to the space and how have you captured this in your image, or alternatively, how does the artwork you chose function in this landscape? Consider things like line, color, shape, materials, bodies in the space, composition in your image, along with any other aspects that help to elucidate your point of view. The main focus here is to analyze your photo of the High line or chosen artwork as closely as possible, providing context based on your experience. Please remember to upload a photo with your post.

Part 2: Reflect on how the High Line transforms the concept of public space into a heightened aesthetic experience of seeing New York City. In what ways does it redefine the relationship between urban development and public art? Consider the documentary as well as our guided tour in your response.

Discussion Post 3: Representation in Hamilton (Due 10/23)

Reflect on the historical impact and success of Hamilton as a musical production that reimagines the representation of American history as well as what a Broadway show can do, look like, and sound like. Pick a particular scene, song, character, or other element of the musical to focus your analysis. In the process, integrate some aspect of the Stuart Hall reading on “Representation” into your analysis. Please quote directly from the Hall reading and cite the page number you are quoting from. (Length: 250 words)

Discussion Post 4: Suffs / New York Historical Society (Due 11/4)

Prompt 1 (if you saw Suffs on Broadway): How does the musical Suffs on Broadway approach the representation of the women’s suffrage movement, and what are the potential challenges and responsibilities of portraying historical figures and events in contemporary theatre? In what ways might the show influence the public’s understanding of this pivotal moment in history?

Prompt 2 (if you did not see Suffs on Broadway): Reflect on our visit to the New York Historical Society as well as the guest lecture by Dr. Kelly Aliano on museum inquiry and objects. Apply some of the ideas in the lecture and/or the readings by Latham & Wood/Burnham to what you saw during the museum visit. Focus on at least one object/artwork you saw and discuss its significance. If possible, address Kelly’s question from class: How can “object inquiry” help us to tell the stories of New York? 

Discussion Post 5: Orientalism in Madama Butterfly (Due 11/13)

Using Stuart Hall’s essay “The Spectacle of the Other,” consider how Puccini’s canonical opera Madama Butterfly stages an image of the Orient (the East) in binary opposition to the Occident (the West). Choose one scene, song, or moment from the opera that engages what Hall (via Edward Said) identifies as a stereotype of the exoticized “Other.” Additionally, reflect on your experience of seeing opera for the first time. What was different about this genre that intrigued or confused you? What did you like or dislike about it?

Discussion Post 6: Museum of the City of New York (Due 11/25)

Visit the Museum of the City of New York and explore the “NY at its Core” permanent exhibit as well as one other temporary exhibit that captures your interest (see the website for details about the current exhibitions). While at the museum, take a photo that captures something that stood out to you. This could be an historical object or artifact, an artwork, or an interactive digital installation in one of the exhibits. In your discussion post, include your image and a brief description of what it portrays, highlighting the specific object captured in your image and explain why it caught your attention. Additionally, reflect on how it connects to the exhibit’s broader themes and what it taught you about New York City’s history and culture. Lastly, reflect on your experience at the museum overall. Would you return to see more exhibits in the future? What did you like/dislike about it? As always, be as specific as possible.