Description–The student must complete a 1,500-word writing requirement in this course. The assignment is a “reaction paper” written in response to a specific work of art.
Subject–The student will pick one work of art from the period covered in this class (Prehistoric period to Pre-Renaissance period) for the assignment.
Process–Look through your book for examples of art created during different cultures and times. Once you have picked a time period, you will pick one work of art from that period. Research your topic. You need at least three sources for the assignment. Be smart about researching and be cautious of Internet sources. Find reputable sources such as museums, educational institutions, and art galleries, and don’t rely on sources such as Wikipedia.
Format–Please put your paper in the following order:
1. Cover page–Include your name, topic and course information.
2. Art Illustration page–Include a photo, preferably in color, artwork you are discussing.
3. Bibliography page–MLA style bibliography of the sources used in the assignment.
4. Introduction section–(About 500 words)
Type “Introduction” on top of the page. In this section you should include some brief background information about the artwork. This may include such information as the year it was completed, the style of art/culture that it represents, the artist (if known) and their intention with the artwork, the context of the piece, the media used, etc. Do not waste time and space with a biography of the artist (if known) unless some of that information in pertinent to the specific piece that you are discussing. You will probably only need to cite information in this section of the paper.
5. Elements section–(About 500 words)
Type “Elements” on top of the page. In this section, you must pick three art elements (find them in your textbook and in the course’s first lecture) and discuss how the artist uses them in the piece. Be specific and use the terms correctly. Pick any three elements, but make sure that they are important to the composition of the piece you are discussing.
6. Reaction section–(About 500 words)
Type “Reaction” on top of this page. In this section you will discuss how you feel about the work. I don’t want to see “I love it” or “I hate it” on your paper. Art is a very subjective thing. Regardless of what the artist is trying to accomplish with a piece, the viewer’s individual experiences will shape and mold their reactions to the things they see. So I want you to dig deep and write about how and why the piece affected you. (If it didn’t, why did you pick the piece in the first place?!) Any reaction is valid as long as you have a valid reason for it and you explain it. (In other words, I will not deduct points if you don’t like a piece, but I will if you write something like “my little brother could paint this” and leave it at that.)
*Begin each new section on a new piece of paper, and put the title of that section on top.
*Remember to document all information that is not common knowledge, including paraphrasing as well as quoted information. When citing, use the following
format:
“Jackson Pollock developed a technique known as drip painting.” (Brown 135)
*Turn it in will be used for plagirism purposes… NO PLAGERISM*
Grading–This assignment is worth 100 points (equal to one test.) The grade for the paper will be
broken down as follows:
1–Introduction (0-30 points)
2–Elements (0-30 points)
3–Reaction (0-40 points)
*You may lose up to 5 points each (at my discretion) if the cover page, art illustration, or
bibliography page are either not turned in, are in the wrong order, or are
unsatisfactory.
