CLEP Humanities : Analyzing the Form of Twentieth-Century 2D Visual Art

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for CLEP Humanities

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Analyzing The Form Of 2 D Visual Art

The American painter who painted canvases of large blocks of color with broad, visible brushstrokes is __________.

Possible Answers:

Grant Wood

Mark Rothko

Andy Warhol

Jackson Pollock

Georgia O'Keefe

Correct answer:

Mark Rothko

Explanation:

Utilizing large canvases featuring only one or two bold colors in large blocks, Mark Rothko deconstructed the principles of Abstract Expressionism to their simplest form. Beginning in 1949, Rothko's "multiforms" became his chief artistic format, and made him a world-famous artist.

Example Question #1 : Analyzing The Form Of Twentieth Century 2 D Visual Art

The Mexican artist Diego Rivera was most well known for working in what medium?

Possible Answers:

Collage

Murals

Photography

Printmaking

Mosaics

Correct answer:

Murals

Explanation:

Diego Rivera began his artistic career in Paris during the first decade of the twentieth century as a cubist influenced by Picasso. On moving back to his native Mexico in the 1910s, Rivera began embracing revolutionary politics, more direct figures, and native Mexican culture, as well as painting massive murals on the sides of buildings. These murals made Rivera much more successful, and produced many different commissions around the world.

Example Question #3 : Analyzing The Form Of 2 D Visual Art

A work of art that is a compilation of various images put together in one piece is known as a __________.

Possible Answers:

cast

fresco

collage

mural

mosaic

Correct answer:

collage

Explanation:

A collage is constructed not as one image, but by compiling a variety of images into one larger piece. This can be done for a variety of reasons, including ironic juxtaposition, social commentary, or refreshing traditional imagery. Collages became more widely used in the twentieth century as various forms of media were brought into widespread use.

Example Question #4 : Analyzing The Form Of 2 D Visual Art

Jackson Pollack is well known for what distinctive artistic style?

Possible Answers:

Roller painting

Drip painting

Screen-printing

Mosaic

Collage

Correct answer:

Drip painting

Explanation:

Jackson Pollack began his career as an expressionist painter, using representative shapes and traditional methods. Beginning in the late 40s, however, Pollack began using the technique of "drip painting," which involved laying the canvas on the floor and splattering liquid paint on it from above. This produced paintings that were extremely abstract, but vivid and emotional, which garnered Pollack worldwide acclaim.

Example Question #5 : Analyzing The Form Of 2 D Visual Art

What twentieth century artist made large-scale screen prints of famous photographs in outlandish colors?

Possible Answers:

Mark Rothko

Andy Warhol

Robert Rauschenberg

Wasily Kandinsky

Jackson Pollack

Correct answer:

Andy Warhol

Explanation:

Andy Warhol sought to make art that directly engaged and confronted popular culture in unique and surprising ways. Warhol also liked to experiment with methods that had a sense of automation, such as screenprinting. Both of these aspects of Warhol's work were shown in a series of paintings he did in the 1960s, which had images of celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean reprinted in bright pinks, blues, and greens.

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