My selected photographer for this assignment is Alice Austen. Please follow these instructions regarding her and her work in photography. Two photographs must be used an analyzed. I suggest “the darned club” and “Julia Martin, Julia Bredt and self dressed up, sitting down”.
To demonstrate your written and research skills, you will complete a self-directed research paper in which you will formally analyze two significant photographs by one key photographer made before 1965. You will need to have a thesis explaining this photographer’s significance within the history of photography and your body paragraphs will support this thesis with factual research. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate proficiency in critical vocabulary for textual analysis, as well as an ability to use secondary materials to further support your thesis.
Your formal analysis should discuss:
A full description of your two selected photographs based on your own observation (use photographic vocab 3+ times).
The ways in which your research has enhanced your understanding of your selected photographs.
Do these photographs relate to a larger body of work or theme the photographer has explored deeply? Tell me about this body of work(s) and/or theme and why it was significant to your photographer.
The historical-cultural context for these photographs. How were these photographs understood when it was made as well as today? How was it seen back then (in print, exhibitions, etc) vs. today?
Why is this understanding significant within the History of Photography? (Photography’s status as a fine art, social, cultural, technical developments, exhibition history & impact, etc.)
Were these photographs part of a photography movement, genre, or key exhibition? Did the photographer rebel against any art movements or causes?
Any other details we should know regarding your photographs (how it was made, artist intent, etc.)
Paper Specs:
MLA Title PageLinks to an external site.
Double-spaced pages with page numbers
Regular 1 inch margins
12 point Times New Roman font
2,000 word minimum
Use spell check. I won’t be nit picky about grammar and spelling but will take points off if words are illegible
MLA Style In-Text CitationsLinks to an external site. Parenthetical – (Author, Page)
MLA Style Works Cited PageLinks to an external site. and the end of your paper – must include a replication of your photographs for me to review!
Your research should include a minimum of 3 scholarly sources. At least 1 scholarly source should be contemporary (published after 1980).
Please see my list of scholarly sources below if you are uncertain about what this means.
Scholarly Sources 101
This will ensure you are on the right track and selected proper sources.
An artist’s website is, rarely a good primary source. Consider these secondary.
Wikipedia is a good resource for initial information but does not count as a source – click on wiki citation links instead!
JSTOR & EBSCO
Google Scholar
Aperture
Khan Academy’s Art History
NYT articles
Smithsonian Digital Art Library
ArtxHistory
