Points of Viewby Mary Erickson Ph.D. Education Consultant & Professor of Art

with Ellen Murray Meissinger Artist and Professor of Art

International Guild of Realism

Eighth Annual Juried Exhibition

The world can look and feel very different depending on your place in it.

The people in this painting are taking many different points of view.

Choose one person and take his or her point of view. Does the point of view make you feel dominant, admiring, oppressed, powerful, excited or does it suggest another feeling?

Steve Rude

When artists show us people, places, or things in their art, they choose a point of view for the viewer. They show us things as seen:

• from above (bird’s eye view), • from below (worm’s eye view) or• from eye level (straight on).

What viewpoint did the photographer use in each photo?

Which of these paintings shows how an animal looks when we view it from above?

Which painting shows an animal as seen from lower down?How can you tell?

Vala Ola Pamela Mangelsdorf

We, the viewers, are looking down on this big-horned sheep. He is looking up at us.

By choosing the viewpoint from above, Pamela Mangelsdorf makes this powerful sheep seem just a bit more timid and watchful than if he were looking down on us from above.

Vala Ola used a low viewpoint in Dash and Grandeur. We, the viewers, are at eye level with the jackrabbit and are looking up at the horse.

The horse seems more grand seen from below -- even if he does look a little worried by the rabbit.

We can almost imagine that the rabbit is in charge.

The settings (or surroundings) of artworks and the positions of things in those settings can add drama or help tell a story. What is the setting for each dog? Which dog is:

under? inside of? behind? on top of ?between?

What do you see in the setting surrounding the green truck in Dave Kurz’s painting, Griff’s Place? How does the setting help tell a story?

You are invited to visit the International Guild of Realism exhibition at the Tempe Center for the Arts to see dramatic artworks that tell stories.

Karen Budan

Thank you to the following artists for the use of their artworks in this presentation.

Karen BudanDave Kurz

Pamela MangelsdorfVala Ola

Steve Rude

Support for this curriculum unit was made possible by a grant from the Friends of Tempe Center for the Arts.