general term - comparison
more specific meanings - showing similarities = comparing
- showing differences = contrasting
communicative purpose(s): depending on the specific intention of the writer, we can speak about:
standard move-pattern(s): two patterns: the "block" pattern and the "point by point" pattern
the "block" pattern
Move I: Introducing the theme and the compared artists
Step 1: Setting the stage (the general context in which the two terms intended for comparison belong)
Step 2: Introducing the artists + works + theme(s)
Step 3: Stating the thesis and points of proof (if they exist in the writer's intention)
Move II: Transition: announcing intended organization (the block pattern)
Move III: Developing description/analysis/points of proof/constructive arguments
Step 1: artist/artwork A: elements 1,2,3 / points of proof 1,2,3 / constructive arguments 1,2,3
Step 2: artist/artwork B: elements 1,2,3 / points of proof 1,2,3 / constructive arguments 1,2,3
Move IV: Concluding upon the basic differences and/or similarities (by showing to what extent these have served the intended communicative purpose of the essay)
Move V (optional) Works cited
the "point by point" pattern
Move I: Introducing the theme and compared artists (see above)
Move II: Transition (announces the "point by point" pattern)
Move III: Developing description/analysis/points of proof/constructive arguments
Step 1: Describing/analyzing element 1 / elaborating on point of proof 1 / offering constructive argument 1 for work/artist A
Step 2: Describing/analyzing element 1 / elaborating on point of proof 1 / offering constructive argument 1 for work B
Step 3: element 2 / point of proof 2 / constructive argument 2 for work A
Step 4: element 2 / point of proof 2 / constructive argument 2 for work B
Move IV: Concluding
Move V (optional) Works cited
Task 1:
Read the text Two Edges of the Subconscious Reality in the Twentieth-Century Art by Olga Bersan.
What pattern is there used? Which are the elements being compared? What discourse strategies are employed by the writer?
Task 2:
Read the essay
Uniform Pigment and Abstract Paintings, by Laura Oprea. What move pattern is here employed and how exactly does it work? Which are the compared elements?
more specific meanings - showing similarities = comparing
- showing differences = contrasting
communicative purpose(s): depending on the specific intention of the writer, we can speak about:
- descriptive comparison - to show similarities and differences between two artworks
- expository comparison - to show similarities and differences between two issues in order to support a personal thesis
- argumentative comparison - to show similarities and differences between two issues in order to support a personal thesis that is expected to encounter considerable opposition
standard move-pattern(s): two patterns: the "block" pattern and the "point by point" pattern
the "block" pattern
Move I: Introducing the theme and the compared artists
Step 1: Setting the stage (the general context in which the two terms intended for comparison belong)
Step 2: Introducing the artists + works + theme(s)
Step 3: Stating the thesis and points of proof (if they exist in the writer's intention)
Move II: Transition: announcing intended organization (the block pattern)
Move III: Developing description/analysis/points of proof/constructive arguments
Step 1: artist/artwork A: elements 1,2,3 / points of proof 1,2,3 / constructive arguments 1,2,3
Step 2: artist/artwork B: elements 1,2,3 / points of proof 1,2,3 / constructive arguments 1,2,3
Move IV: Concluding upon the basic differences and/or similarities (by showing to what extent these have served the intended communicative purpose of the essay)
Move V (optional) Works cited
the "point by point" pattern
Move I: Introducing the theme and compared artists (see above)
Move II: Transition (announces the "point by point" pattern)
Move III: Developing description/analysis/points of proof/constructive arguments
Step 1: Describing/analyzing element 1 / elaborating on point of proof 1 / offering constructive argument 1 for work/artist A
Step 2: Describing/analyzing element 1 / elaborating on point of proof 1 / offering constructive argument 1 for work B
Step 3: element 2 / point of proof 2 / constructive argument 2 for work A
Step 4: element 2 / point of proof 2 / constructive argument 2 for work B
Move IV: Concluding
Move V (optional) Works cited
Task 1:
Read the text Two Edges of the Subconscious Reality in the Twentieth-Century Art by Olga Bersan.
What pattern is there used? Which are the elements being compared? What discourse strategies are employed by the writer?
Task 2:
Read the essay
Uniform Pigment and Abstract Paintings, by Laura Oprea. What move pattern is here employed and how exactly does it work? Which are the compared elements?
Deadline: March 28
Pițigoi Alexia Nicoleta, Design department, 2nd year
ReplyDelete1. Olga Bersan’s essay follows the block pattern of comparison, analyzing Three Worlds by Maurits Cornelis Escher and Swans Reflecting Elephants by Salvador Dalí. The main idea is that both artists are interested in the subconscious mind and reflections, even though their artistic approaches are very different.
The essay first examines Escher’s work, focusing on his precise, mathematical style. He uses impossible spaces and optical illusions to question reality, layering natural elements, reflections, and hidden depths. His structured, logical approach reveals a fascination with the mathematical patterns found in nature.
Dalí, on the other hand, embraces surrealism and dreamlike distortions. He uses the paranoiac-critical method to turn ordinary subjects into unsettling, symbolic forms. In Swans Reflecting Elephants, the swans’ reflections morph into elephants, showing his interest in metamorphosis and shifting perceptions. His self portrait in the painting reinforces the idea that reality is shaped by personal experience.
Despite their differences, both artists explore hidden dimensions of thought. Escher’s work is structured and logical, while Dalí’s is fluid and irrational. The essay effectively contrasts their approaches and shows how two very different styles can still be connected by a shared exploration of reality.
2. Abstract painting has been a key part of modern and contemporary art. Kazimir Malevich’s Black Square and Yves Klein’s Untitled Blue Monochrome both focuses on uniform pigment, but their artistic intentions and historical contexts are very different. Malevich pioneered Suprematism, using geometric abstraction to express pure feeling, while Klein developed a spiritual and immaterial approach to color.
Malevich created Black Square during the Russian Communist Revolution, seeing it as a radical break from tradition. He rejected representational art in favor of a pure visual language based on feeling rather than material reality. The black square, set against a white background, was meant to be an icon, both a void and a symbol of a new beginning. He placed it in a sacred position within a room, calling it the “zero point” of painting, an attempt to go beyond traditional artistic forms.
Klein, working in post war France, developed International Klein Blue, a deep ultramarine pigment designed to evoke infinity and immateriality. His monochrome paintings used a synthetic resin to keep their color intense and vibrant. Unlike Malevich, he wasn’t interested in form but in the emotional and spiritual experience of pure color.
Stylistically, Malevich’s work is geometric and structured, while Klein’s is fluid and immersive. Malevich’s sharp-edged abstraction anticipated Minimalism, while Klein described his blue canvases as “open windows to freedom,” inviting viewers to lose themselves in color. Black Square is about revolution and negation, while Untitled Blue Monochrome is about transcendence and immateriality.
Both artists stripped painting down to its essentials, but for very different reasons. Malevich wanted to push art beyond representation, while Klein aimed to capture the infinite. Their works remain major landmarks in abstract art, reflecting different ideas about art and existence.
Cesarato Diana-Antonella, painting department
ReplyDeleteTask 1
The text uses a block pattern to compare the artistic styles of Salvador Dali and Maurits Cornelis Escher, both exploring the subconscious. It focuses on several key elements: how they view reality, the idea of "reflected worlds," the presence of animals, human figures, and their artistic techniques.
Escher is fascinated by the laws of nature, while Dali uses dream-like images to create surreal landscapes. In Escher's "Three Worlds," he shows essential elements of life—air, water, and nature. In contrast, Dali's "Swans Reflecting Elephants" mixes swans and elephants, highlighting how perception can shift. The animals in their works serve different roles; Escher's fish symbolize life and clarity, while Dali's animals represent illusion and transformation.
The text discusses how human figures are included in their art. Escher suggests a link between mind and reality, while Dali emphasizes the idea that each person is the center of their own universe through his self-portrait.
The text also shows how Dali and Escher explore the human mind's depths. They share themes, especially the idea of reflection, which connects the visible world to the imaginative realms they each create in their unique ways. Overall, both artists express the complex nature of human emotions and thoughts.
Task 2
The paragraph uses a “point by point” pattern to highlight the similarities and differences between Kazimir Malevich and Yves Klein through their works "Black Square" and "Untitled Blue Monochrome." It starts by introducing the theme of abstract painting during modern and contemporary periods, presenting both artists and their famous pieces. The thesis states that, although both use the same uniform pigment, they have different attitudes and meanings based on their historical contexts. Malevich's work is connected to the Russian Revolution, reflecting his revolutionary spirit, while Klein’s art draws on spiritual and esoteric ideas, focusing on freedom through color. The subject matter is compared with Malevich's "Black Square" symbolizing a "full void" that exists without reference to a specific external reality, and Klein’s monochrome represents immateriality and transcendence. Malevich challenges traditional representation, while Klein emphasizes color as a form of liberation from conventional art. This approach shows how both artists contributed to the development of abstract art and the important ideas behind their works.