Analyzing Rhetoric Through Creative Expression

Analyzing Rhetoric Through Creative Expression

Introduction:
Art and artifacts are extremely captivating aspects of our society. These items can be anything humans create for a reason. There is no limit in the definition of medium, size, or makeup. When viewing one of these artifacts, they have an effect. That is to say that they can change the way we think and perceive anything whether it be political, economical, or sociological. Often art comes in the form of spoken words such as speeches, music, poetry, and debate. Consider these forms of art in completing this assignment. The exigence of the artifact will be what the artifact inspires the audience to act on. A successful artifact will be one in which the audience is inspired to do something or foster change.
One’s audience is often a large consideration in the creation of an artifact. Who will see, read, or listen to the piece that you create? How will your audience affect the way your artifact is interpreted and acted upon? Whatever the artifact, its rhetorical exigence will depend on the audience. In order for the exigence to be effective the audience must respond to the exigence.

Guidelines:
• Step 1: You will first examine an artifact or collection of artifacts. It is required that you first submit your ideas to me before examining the artifacts so I can confirm that the artifact will be appropriate for the assignment. When choosing an artifact, be creative. Chose something that interests you so that you will be motivated to explore the topic to the fullest.

• Step 2: Once you have an approved artifact you will go onsite and examine your artifact fully. Take notes, pictures, and form original thoughts based on what see you see, hear, taste, touch, or smell. Be sure to consider the surroundings and location of your artifact, as context will help you to form an original argument.

• Step 3: Analyze your artifact. The second step of this project is the analysis portion. For this part you will analyze the rhetorical exigence of your artifact by creating an original argument regarding your artifact. To do this you will not be writing an essay but instead creating your own artifact using what you have learned from the artifact, which you analyzed. As with the first step, the options are open for creativity, meaning that you are able to create any analysis using mediums such as digital, artistic, or linguistic.


Assignment:
For this project you will take the opportunity to examine any artifact of your choosing. Use this to go in search of a unique and interesting artifact. I recommend you spend some time thinking about what types of artifacts interest you and what you feel inspires you. As you will be creating your own argument you do not want to be stuck with an artifact, which is uninteresting and uninspiring. Your project should convey the original argument to your audience through the creation of your own original argument. It is possible that your audience could be the same as the original argument, but it could also be a new audience. Therefore your audience must be defined as a part of the project.

My own exploration of an artifact:
For my own project I chose to take a trip to the Denver art museum. Being interested in western art, I chose to visit the American western art exhibit. In this exhibit I was intrigued by many pieces, but one specific display caught my attention. It was a wall, which contained four paintings. The first three all depicted hardship and sorrow in majestic settings. The fourth depicted two men enjoying the landscape for all it was worth. The rhetorical exigence of the exhibit as a whole relates to the fact that most modern day viewers can only see the image portrayed, and not the symbolic image of hardship and struggle of the past. The final image, which comes out of the negative images, is displayed after the initial three in the exhibit. This painting serves the purpose to present the true beauty of the backgrounds of the previous paintings. Though painted in the past, is splendor can be appreciated by all those who view it. The goal of the visual was to allow all viewers to see what is unpainted by the artist by bringing it to the foreground. After showing the viewer the hardship and suffering, the visual transitions to the final painting in the exhibit. This painting brings the actual painted background to the foreground by illustrating the true beauty of the western landscape.