Socio-cultural Commentary - Analysis of Death Themes in Art

Attention

Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss is a sculpture by Antonio Canova first commissioned in 1787 by Colonel John Campbell….Having been recently awakened, Psyche reaches up towards her lover, Cupid, as he gently holds her by supporting her head and breast. Antonio Canova's fine technique in carving marble contrasts their realistic smooth skin with the surrounding elements. Loosely draped around Psyche’s lower body, a sheet further emphasizes the difference between the texture of skin and drapery. Rough texture provides the basis of the rock upon which the composition is placed supplementing the distinctions of elements. Fine curls and lines make up the hair and light feathery details create realistic wings upon the landing Cupid.

In Apuleius, Psyche had been warned by Venus against opening the jar she was given to collect a scrap of beauty from Proserpina for Venus: "’But I give you one especially strong warning. Do not open or peep into the [jar] you carry, and repress all curiosity as to the "Imprisoned Treasure of Divine Beauty".’”    But she gave way to curiosity just as she had returned from her voyage into the Underworld, peering into the jar to take some of the Divine Beauty for herself. However, Proserpina had not filled it with the Beauty, but rather with the “Sleep of the Innermost Darkness, the night of Styx, which freed from its cell rushed upon her and penetrated her whole body with a heavy cloud of unconsciousness and unfolded her where she lay.” It is the moment in which Psyche is “a corpse asleep” revived by Cupid that Canova chose to depict. “Delicately purging her of the Sleep, which he put back in its original lair the [jar], he roused Psyche with a charming prick of his Arrow.” Various details such as the jar behind Psyche allude to the story by Apuleius as Psyche had just opened it and had gone to sleep thus the jar remains lying beside her. Additionally, the arrow which Cupid struck Psyche with to awaken her is also found near the jar and Cupid wears a quiver next to his waist.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able

  • Demonstrate oral and written skills in discussing and evaluating different ideas in the study of human mortality, death and dying.
  • Develop research and analytical skills in writing scholarly productions, with class presentations and social analysis.
  • Assess the role that specific art has in developing a perception of death and dying.
  • Explain how images of death, dying and bereavement in film, art, literature, music and popular culture effect society’s views on death and dying.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the inter-relationship of concepts of human mortality as it relates to social organizations and social messages.

Teaching

Within the social context of death and dying you will consider how views of death have changed over time and the ways in which contemporary Western societies view and respond to death and dying. Central to this exploration is the extent to which the public views and our own private experiences are in a dynamic relationship with each other.

There will be two socio-cultural analyses due throughout the semester. Students will select a Song, Poem, Piece of Art Work, or Myth/fable, or rite/ritual that focuses on death and dying from anywhere around the world, cite at least two resources (including the book), and write an INFORMAL paper indicating who, what, where, when, where, why and how the media/medium selected was chosen. The second part of this assignment will be a class presentation- for online classes this means an uploaded presentation of your findings. The paper MUST be less than 5 pages including the cover page and references.

Two different mediums must be selected- one for each presentation. You are not required to confirm your choice with the instructor, but you may check with the Instructor if you are struggling to pick something.

Many people have completed assignments like this by recording themselves, utilizing apps available to create presentations, uploading to specialty sites (prezi, powtoons) or uploading to youtube to complete the presentation component of the assignment.

I have had students do Andy Warhol paintings, Hawthorne short stories, popular songs and movies and/or responses to iconic deaths. Joseph Campbell, Orozco, death masks, and/or rituals can all be examined. The websites within the lesson should also provide a variety of ideas.

* Students need to be familiar with the writing process including:

1) How to choose a topic
2) How to develop an idea
3) How to organize a paper
4) How to reflect on the process and communicate learning/understanding

BASIC RULES OF WRITING:

• Everything should have an Introduction, Body, and Conclusion: In fact, take that standard and create every paragraph in that fashion- the paper should have an introduction, body and conclusion but so should every paragraph!

• PROOF READ – I grade including grammer, spelling and comprehension of what is written. So please proof read what you submit.

DO NOT PLAGIARIZE!!

An undergraduate education should allow for certain competencies. These include:

Speaking: Competence in speaking is the ability to communicate orally in a clear, coherent, and persuasive language, using specific vocabulary, appropriate to the purpose, occasion, and audience. Developing this competency includes respecting yourself and others, demonstrating confidence even if you don’t feel it [speak, even if your voice shakes because in this field you will be someone else’s role-model], and develop control of the language through your familiarity, comfort and experience with it.

Listening: Listening, at the college level, means the ability to analyze and interpret various forms of spoken communication. I will be asking you to synthesize what seem like disparate ideas. If I use this sentence, or other sentences/words, and you do not know what these words mean, ASK. Look things up. Be accountable for your learning. Asking questions in order to better understand is not only your responsibility to yourself, but likely someone else may not understand either and our responsibility to each other as fellow teachers and students is to listen thoughtfully.

Critical Thinking: Critical thinking embraces methods for applying both qualitative and quantitative skills, analytically and creatively, to subject matter in order to evaluate arguments and to construct alternative strategies. Problem solving is one of the applications of critical thinking, used to address an identified task. AGAIN, this is our responsibility to ourselves and each other as fellow learners and teachers.

Computer Literacy: Computer literacy, at the college level, means the ability to use computer-based technology in communicating, solving problems, and acquiring information. Students should have an understanding of the limits, problems, and possibilities associated with the use of technology, and should have the tools necessary to evaluate and learn new technologies as they become available.

Skills

• Knowledge acquisition: identify what is being said: the idea, the issues, the advantages, disadvantages, main points and key focus.

• Comprehension: UNDERSTAND the material, if you do not understand ASK, FIND OUT, LOOK IT UP. Relate the information to what you already know. Involve yourself with the information in a variety of ways- touch it, do it, read it, listen to it, write it, record it, manipulate it in a manner that will help you understand. GO BEYOND MEMORIZING AND REGURGITATING the material- give the material its own significance to you!

• Application: Requires that you APPLY what you have read, heard, seen or learned and that you comprehend it, can demonstrate it and integrate it into your work.

• Analysis: Break down the information, understand the different components, associate what you already know to what you are learning, make clear how the ideas are ordered, related and connected.

• Evaluation: Appraise the information! Once we’ve understood, analyzed and learned the concepts, we can decide whether we agree, disagree, need to act or change behavior. We have to minimize our own emotional responses and try to see the objective information relayed.

Assessment

There will be two socio-cultural analyses due throughout the semester. Students will select a Song, Poem, Piece of Art Work, or Myth/fable, or rite/ritual that focuses on death and dying from anywhere around the world, cite at least two resources (including the book), and write an INFORMAL paper indicating who, what, where, when, where, why and how the media/medium selected was chosen. Please follow the outline provided below. The paper should be no more than 5 pages including the cover page and references.

The second part of this assignment will be a class presentation- for online classes this means an uploaded presentation of your findings. Some students have recorded themselves doing a presentation, other make a slide show presentation.

Two different mediums must be selected- one for each paper with presentation. It is not required for you to confirm your choice with the Instructor unless you wish for guidance.

Things you may want to consider:

Song

  • how the song addresses its audience
  • lyrics: how they rhyme, repeat, what they say
  • use of music, tempo, different instruments
  • possible cultural ramifications or social issues that have bearing
  • ethical implications
  • emotional effects

Piece of art/sculpture/prose/poetry

  • Key features
  • socio-cultural and historical context of art/medium
  • Thematic representations & why/how you’ve determined the themes
  • Death and Dying Vocabulary
  • Cultural Relevance- for the time of creation and for current consumption

Outline
 
I. Introduction
A. Contextualize selected assignment: Introduce self, art and time of the piece
B. Introduce assignment: Mention the title of YOUR presentation AND discuss briefly why YOU chose this socio-cultural medium
C. Identify the socio-cultural history at the time of creation
D. Describe subject you will present: review thematic representations using keywords/death & dying vocabulary and how the piece of work conveys a message  

II. Logos
A. Give evidence of the meanings you identify in the piece of work you are representing (look at the resources within this lesson, and see how other authors write about art)
B. Evaluate how the intended audience of piece of art may respond to the song BEFORE they understand the psychological/spiritual/bio-medical aspects of death and dying AND, indicate how the intended audience might respond to the art AFTER they understand the lessons you are learning in this class. (Think about learning here: assimilation and accommodation, for example).

III. Ethos
A. Discuss briefly extrinsic ethos: External Moral beliefs made by the work of art
B. Discuss briefly intrinsic ethos: Internal moral beliefs or values implied by the work of art

IV. Pathos
A. Discuss the work of Art’s pathos: How it appeals to intended audience’s emotions, values, assumptions, sense of identity
B. Provide a few key examples of how the Art uses pathos in different ways to persuade the intended audience

VII. Conclusion
A. Conclude with a paragraph/description that highlights and supports the relevance of this piece of work to your death and dying education with evidence as to why.
B. Offer a final evaluation of the Art’s impact, and how that impact may or may not influence individuals’ belief systems.