Blog 4: Understanding Genres

Categorizing art can be tough because it can be hard to know for sure what the creator intended to convey with their art. Genres make categorizing art a little bit easier as genres differ between art mediums and aren’t just based on the creator’s intent. As stated in Bedford’s Book of Genres, Chapter 1: “Understanding Genres”, there are a list of things to consider when determining the genre of a certain composition. This includes, purpose (creator’s intent), audience, rhetorical appeals, modes & media (visual, writing, etc.), elements of the genre, style, design, and sources. This chapter helped me understand that genres can differ from medium to medium. I also learned that a lot goes into determining the genre of something, beyond just the style and purpose of it. This chapter will help guide me when creating project 1 and project 2 as I now have a better understanding of what genres are and what constitutes the genres I will be writing in.