WP3: Statement of Purpose

The third writing project of this semester requires us to analyze a sculpture in the Sheldon Art Museum Sculpture Garden. This is similar to the two previous writing assignments we have already completed. However, because the piece of art we are examining is a sculpture instead of a picture, there are significant differences that set this writing assignment apart from the others. This changes my requirements I have to fulfill as a writer. My purpose for this third writing project is to present the argument I feel Catherine Ferguson, the creator of Arietta II, intended to express when she designed and built this art object. I will do this by outlining and describing in detail the specific rhetorical elements that my sculpture possesses and how they were used to effectively present the argument.

I will be using the initial observations and inferences I have made during my first pre-write exercise. Some of these rhetorical appeals include: visual hierarchy, abstraction and symbolism. Incorporating these elements into my essay will serve as the evidence to support the argument that I will be presenting. Along with expanding off of my initial inferences, I will be using the information I found while researching for the second pre-write exercise, the portion of the project where we do a historical analysis. I will be looking at how my sculpture and the rhetorical elements it exhibits call your attention to specific parts of the art object, which in turn helps to present the argument at hand. The fact that this art object is three dimensional is another important part of this writing project that was not a factor in the previous two assignments. I will also need to incorporate how this influences and dictates the message and thoughts that my statue provokes.

In this piece of writing I will be viewing my art object through an aesthetic perspective. There are many important elements you can observe while looking at this sculpture. You can also walk around the piece and examine it from multiple angles and views. This is what sets analyzing sculptures apart from analyzing pictures. Not only is this difference important to my argument, but it is also important when considering my audience for this piece of writing. It is important that I have an obvious context where my ideas are coming from in order to establish a strong argument.

In this writing project my audience consists of anyone who reads my blog, specifically though, this mainly includes my classmates and my professor. This writing assignment is graded so I need to consider the guidelines that were posted on the blog by my professor. Although this is an academic piece of writing, it is posted on the internet, therefore anyone can read it. This is also an important aspect to consider. I need to write in a style that can be appreciated by a wide variety of readers. In order to establish ethos through my writing I will need to use a language that my audience can relate to and understand. Another thing to think about in this writing assignment is how the style of Catherine Ferguson’s sculpture can be interpreted in a wide variety of ways because the pieces she uses to construct the sculpture are abstract. This means I will have to present my argument clearly with effective evidence. I will also be able to use multimedia to help explain my argument in ways that words might not be able to communicate. In addition to covering my points in a way that is convincing I also want to leave my audience with something to think about and take away with them after they finish reading. I believe I can compose a successful piece of writing if I am able to complete all the goals I have outlined above.