“The great aim is accurate, precise, and definite description. The first thing is to recognize how extraordinarily difficult this is. It is no mere matter of carefulness; you have to use language, and language is by its very nature a communal thing; that is, it expresses never the exact thing but a compromise — that which is common to you, me and everybody. But each man sees a little differently, and to get out clearly and exactly what he does see, he must have a terrific struggle with language” – T. E. Hulme
Rationale
This assignment is intended to improve your writing, research, and critical thinking skills while exploring cultural influences on visual art.
Description
You will work throughout the semester to develop a carefully researched and organized thesis essay. For this paper, you should focus on two works of art. The two works must originate in different cultures. Note that some regions or nations contain more than one culture or sub-culture.
Your paper’s thesis should focus on the relationship between art and culture. The nature of this argument is left up to you to discover and refine, but should ultimately be clearly defined as the thesis of your paper. Note that this is a thesis essay. You are expected to make a specific argument. In other words, your paper should focus on your position concerning a specific similarity or difference regarding the two works, rather than ”listing” various observations or facts.
Your essay should be approximately 1,200-1,600 words, 3-5 pages, double-spaced. At least 6 sources are required for this paper. Include physical, database, web, and academic sources. Also, you must include properly labeled images of the two works discussed and an annotated bibliography.
Directions & Process
PART I, Image Pages and Preliminary Research (10 points)
Start by finding two works of art. Remember, in ARTS 104, you will use a very broad definition of art. You may write on paintings, sculptures, or architecture. But, clothing, fonts, furniture, baskets, bowls, web design, wearable art, photography, prints, and interior architecture are all also viable subjects.
Label your two images properly. The usual image label includes the artist’s name, the materials the work was made from, the date(s) of creation, dimensions, and, if applicable, the museum where the work is housed. See your book for examples of image labeling.
Now, engage in some pre-writing. Some questions are listed below. Use them to start generating ideas. You will need to start the research stage to answer some of these questions. Many students find it helpful to start their bibliography when answering these questions.
Write your responses in a numbered list. For some questions, you may need only a few sentences to adequately answer the question. Be sure that your language is specific. Avoid general and vague terms.
1) What is the subject or content of the works? How does this subject relate to the culture?
2) What is the historical context for these works of art?
3) Describe the techniques and media.
4) What moods or feelings do you get from the works? Are these the intended moods or feelings?
5) Are the works titled? Do the titles help one understand the works?
6) What was the original function(s) of the works?
7) Are symbols used? What meaning can be derived from such symbols?
8) Describe the works in terms of formal qualities.
Don’t limit your research to art publications. Depending on your topic, you might also need technical information, a statistic, or other information that is not found in an art publication. Please note that you may not find a source that is absolutely specific to your topic or thesis.
You must utilize scholarly journals, which are very easily found when searching CCBC subscribed academic databases, as well as credible popular audience websites. Credible websites are defined in this course as websites authored by reputable individuals or institutions, such as the Smithsonian website, or an online newspaper article authored by an authority in their field. As the term reputable is vague, your instructor is available for consultation on such sources. You must also utilize a physical source, such as a book or article, which is not accessed by a database. Create a research packet consisting of printed downloads and photocopies of your research, as well as a list of works consulted. This list should be compiled as an annotated bibliography page in MLA format. At least 6 sources are required. Hand in your research packet in hard copy. See the Purdue Owl website for futher guidance on MLA formatting.
check list:
- image labels are correct
- bibliography is annotated & bibliography is in MLA format
- printed downloads or photocopies of research are attached to bibliography
- at least 6 sources are included
- one credible web source is included
- one scholarly source is included
- one physical source is included
- responses have been researched, the relationship between art and culture, such as the “what, where, and who” surrounding the work of art is clear
- responses reflect careful observation of formal qualities, such as composition, color, line, texture, sound, motion, shape, technique, and material
- responses are written in grammatically correct complete sentences
PART II, Thesis and Outline (10 points)
Your thesis must be a clearly defined specific argument. Or, to put it in other words, your perspective on a particular subject. A thesis is not a topic. A thesis is not a statement of fact. A thesis is not a question. Developing a quality thesis requires a great deal of thought and research.
Remember, your instructor is available for feedback. It’s often helpful to talk about your ideas when developing a thesis.
As your entire paper should focus on supporting your thesis, you’ll want to look over your research packet, as well as your initial topics list, to see what information can be utilized. List the information that might support your thesis. Remember that some information will be on topic, but not in support of your thesis. After hours researching, you’ve uncovered both relevant an irrelevant information. Are you tempted to include everything you discovered in your essay? Here’s a good litmus test. Ask yourself, “does this directly support my thesis”? If the answer is no, or even maybe, take a deep breath and don’t include that information in your list or essay. Make sure that you have provided enough support for your thesis.
At this stage, you have engaged in pre-writing, researched your topic, honed your thesis, and developed support for that thesis. Now, take a look at your supporting statements. Consider how you’d like to organize them in your essay. Your essay must begin with an introduction that contains your thesis, follow with body paragraphs, and end with a concluding paragraph. The order of your body paragraphs is up to you. Utilize some strategy. The order of your supporting paragraphs can strengthen or weaken your paper. Present this information in a full sentence outline.
check list:
- thesis is clear
- thesis is specific
- thesis takes a stand
- your thesis can be argued in a 3-4 page paper
- your thesis is the result of critical thinking
- your thesis is not statement of fact, topic, or question
- your supporting statements all directly support your thesis
- you have provided enough support for your thesis
- outline is in full sentence format
- outline is organized according to a reasonable strategy
PART III, Final Copy (20 points)
After engaging in so much preparation, you might now find it fairly easy to write your paper. Remember to write in an academic tone. Avoid colloquialisms and vague terminology. Also, write in 3rd person.
After writing your first draft, take a look at your introductory and concluding paragraphs. Readers often pay disproportionate attention to the beginning and end of an essay. Therefore, it’s important to polish your introduction, and write a very strong concluding paragraph. Your conclusion should go far beyond simply re-stating your introduction or thesis. When writing a conclusion, it’s often helpful to ask why the reader should care about your paper. Use your conclusion to explain and highlight why your paper’s thesis is worthwhile.
You have conducted a great deal of research to write your paper, and created an annotated bibliography. Don’t neglect to cite your sources in-text. Any fact or idea that you have obtained from another scholar must be cited correctly to avoid plagiarism. MLA citation style requires you to use parenthetical citations in your essay.
Use a proofreader. As the author of your paper, you might not notice errors in your text. Spelling mistakes, structural problems, and grammatical errors will be much more apparent to another person. Ask a fellow student or teacher to review your essay. Also, remember that CCBC has an excellent writing center. The center will not proof your essay, but they will help you:
- edit your material
- format your document
- cite any sources that you have used (using any documentation style)
- understand comments that your professor has made on a paper or draft
- learn how to proofread your own work
Finally, assemble your cover page, image pages, outline, paper, and annotated bibliography. Note that most MLA papers do not require a title page, but as we have images and an outline, I’m requesting a title page.
Would an example help?
Download a good example of a finished paper by clicking here.
Want to double-check your paper?
Download your instructor’s grading sheet by clicking here.
