ART 338 / Research Assignment

#1 Due Thursday, Oct. 16 and #2 Due Tuesday, Dec. 2

Assignment:

Select one figurative sculptor from the list below or propose another artist to Lisa for approval. Write a research essay to be no less than 5 typed pages (1850 or more words).

Cite Sources: All sources must be included in a general bibliography and specific content must be footnoted (an inline note indicating author’s name and page # will suffice). Remember footnotes are for more than quotes. Any time you paraphrase someone else’s ideas and or cite facts and information you must footnote. Illustrations (labeled with title, year, and source) any bibliography should be placed at the end of the essay and not counted as part of the 5 pages /1850 words. You should have no less than 5 substantial sources (books and periodical articles). You may use no more than 2 web sites and these MUST be substantial (a web site with one paragraph and a bunch of pictures does not constitute a substantial source.) I will evaluate your sources as part of your grade!

Use example artworks: Select and use appropriate example artworks as a way to explain ideas and claims through visual analysis of individual works or comparing and contrasting multiple works.

Address the following:

An overview of the artist’s career including when and where they lived and worked. (no more than ¾ of a page) The more this addresses their work as a sculptor the better.
A characterization of the type of sculpture they have made (maybe some comments as to how their work has varied over time if relevant).
A characterization of the artist’s expressive concerns and intentions.
The context in which they have created their art (patronage, social conditions etc.) and how that context has possibly effected their art making.
A characterization of the school(s) of artistic thought that the artist has participated in (including a description of these ideologies and commentary as to how this artist fits into or has varied from these ideologies.)
A characterization of how the artist defines and deals with the issue of “representation” including attitudes towards materiality vs. illusion, realist depiction vs. expressive content, objective observation vs. artistic subjectivity (see lecture PDF to jog your understanding of this).

Read the sample: Carefully read over the provided sample essay as a way to understand how to successfully complete this assignment’s expectations.

Artists:

Gian Lorenzo Bernini	George Segal
Auguste Rodin	Manuel Neri
Edward Degas	Duane Hanson
Daniel Chester French	Louise Bourgeois
Augustus Saint-Gaudens	Magdalena Abakanowicz
Alberto Giacometti	Ana mendieta
Constatin Brancusi	Kiki Smith (early work)
Alexander Archipenko	Antony Gormley
Henry Moore	Ron Mueck

Submitting the Work: Email as a word doc with embedded illustrations (yourlastname_research1.doc)

Evaluation: The essay will be evaluated as to the degree of effort and the thoughtful inclusion of the content as listed above.