1997 Arts Assessment Strategies ReportThe Interior Space Task

Take out the two prints you have been given from your envelope and study them carefully. These two works of art are called "interiors," which means that each work shows the inside of a place. Notice how each artist has used color, posed people, and organized his work to create an interior environment.

In both works, each artist uses an interior space as a symbol or metaphor for feelings or ideas about the world and human experiences. As you look at each work, think about what feelings, ideas, and experiences the interior space in each painting suggests to you. Look for images that give you clues about what each artist may have wanted to express in his painting.

You will have 40 minutes to answer some questions about the two works of art you have been given and to create an interior of your own. The questions are designed to give you an opportunity to show how well you examine and respond to the works of art by looking at and thinking about what you see. You should, therefore, spend time studying each work.