Carly visited the Grounds for Sculpture Museum in Trenton, NJ in order to explore the ideas of John Berger and what he wrote about in his book Ways of Seeing. Women and their portrayal in art, which goes hand in hand with nakedness and nudity were her focal points. Now, these topics might all sound uninteresting, but when you view it through the eyes of Carly and in her writing, it goes to a whole new level.
She directs our attention to two sculptures she found in the museum, Part of Nature by Seward Johnson and Woman in Bathtub by Patrick Strzelec. Both adequately sum up the ideas of how women are portrayed to the viewer, specifically the male. Carly’s analysis of the two sculptures based on what she read in Ways of Seeing is amplified by the use of her language. She interweaves her ideas with Berger’s to create a powerful and captivating piece of writing while also engaging the reader with her personal writing style. For me, it is the interwoven ideas mixed in with her personal writing style that elevates the writing, and therefore the reader’s interest.
The last thing I want to mention about Carly’s project is the conclusion. The
conclusion can be difficult for a lot of writers because we want to wrap
everything up without rambling on, but also leave the reader with something to
think about. Carly not only wraps up her project in an effective way, but
connects what she has discussed back to other situations where these concepts
might occur. Then she brings up a counterpoint to the reader: maybe
painters a long time ago did not mean to portray woman as objects only to be
gazed upon. It brings up an interesting new point, while adding to her
discussion of women in art. She then talks about how, even though Berger’s
ideas are present in the world, there is hope for change by educating people in
order to expose the falsity of these preconceived ideas. The way that
Carly proposes a counterpoint and a solution elevate the writing by allowing the
reader to think more, while also showing that Carly has taken the time to dive
deep and really interpret how she feels about the topic she is discussing.
The interwoven concepts, use of artwork, interaction with the readers, and powerful and captivating use of the language allow Carly’s writing to stand out. Her personal stylistic flair and strong analysis keep the reader’s attention, while also bringing together the concepts she learned in a clear way that all readers can understand and appreciate in a deeper way.