Taihu Rock

Must use from San Antonio Museum. org website.

This essay will be an evaluation of an artwork (painting, drawing, photograph, sculpture, etc.).
You may visit the online library database Artstor, an art museum (.org) website for art, or a city (.gov) website for historically significant architecture. (No galleries or other websites, and no Wikipedia.)
Format:
750 words minimum
MLA format
Typewritten
Double spaced
ESSAY REQUIREMENTS:
This essay is designed to check for understanding of concepts and achievement of goals established by the department, and will be used to assess your success in learning outcomes reported in Elumen.
Please submit your essay organized in the following specified paragraphs, so that your instructor can easily identify these goals:
Paragraph 1:
o Title of artwork
o Location (name of museum, gallery, etc.)
o Name of artist/architect (if known)
o Cultural context (Name the artist’s nationality. In addition, you may discuss ethnicity, time period (i.e. the Renaissance), political affiliations, or any other aspect of the artist’s culture that may have influenced the artwork.)
o Date it was made
o Art form (i.e. photograph, sculpture, installation, etc.)
o Style (Abstract Expressionist, Impressionist, Contemporary Art, etc. This can also be characterized as a cultural style, such as Ancient Egyptian, Renaissance, etc.) You may need to do research on the artwork or artist.
o Subject matter (A detailed description of what is literally seen or represented in your own words, no research here, such as a tree on the left and house on the right, square with three stripes for nonrepresentational art, etc.) For architecture, you will instead give a general description of the way the building looks.
Suggested extra vocabulary: Naturalistic, Representational, Non-representational, or Nonobjective.
Paragraph 2:
Medium (be specific, i.e. charcoal on paper, oil on canvas, wood, etc.)
Process: Describe how the material is manipulated, such as applied with a brush or dripped on canvas.
Suggested extra vocabulary: additive or subtractive process, impasto, glazing, carving, lost-wax casting, hatching, skeleton-and-skin, load bearing, etc.
Paragraph 3:
2-3 formal elements and how they are used. Be specific- what kind and where in the artwork? Use extra vocabulary, such as implied line or primary colors.
2-3 principles of design and how they are used. Be specific- what kind and where in the artwork? Use extra vocabulary, such as symmetrical balance.
Paragraph 4:
What is the content, or meaning, of the artwork? This can be based on research or personal interpretation.
How do the subject matter, formal elements, and/or principles of design create that meaning? Is there any symbolism?
Identify a theme in your work of art from Part 5 of the reading, at the end of the book (Chapters 21-27).
Paragraph 5:
o Impact on Culture/Society: Choose a Role of the Artist from Chapter One in the textbook, or the notes, that matches your artwork/architecture and discuss.
Vocabulary:
5 extra vocabulary words, highlighted. (Besides formal elements, principles, and other information already listed. For example, if you were describing the element of value, you could discuss highlights and shadows. Suggestions for extra vocabulary have been given above. )
Image:
An image of the piece being discussed. Include source for image. Source should be limited to the museum website or library database Artstor.
Research:
Allowed Sources: You may use the library database or visit the library in-person. The libguide for this course is linked here at: https://sacguide.libguides.com/arts1301_sberlfein
(Links to an external site.)
. See Need Research Help Module in this course. You may use the museum’s website or city’s website as an additional source, but no other websites are allowed. That means no Wikipedia or others.
How much research? 1-5 sentences of researched information only (no more).
Topics: Research may be based on a biography of the artist to be included in Paragraph 1, on the style, medium, or process the artist used, or on the meaning of the piece, based on the artist’s biography or style used.
Citations:
In-text citations needed at the end of the sentence. For example, you may write “According to Smith’s essay on Art of the Americas……” at the beginning or end, or (Smith) at the end.
Bibliography (Works Cited page) at the end of the essay.
Plagiarism: Not citing information is considered plagiarism, which is academic dishonesty, and can result in no credit and requirement to fix the essay for re-grading and a late grade. You MUST cite any researched information (besides title, date, and artist’s name). If it is word-for-word from a source, include quotations. If you have summarized, then no quotations are needed, but citations are still needed.
When referencing information from the museum plaque, you can just write “According to the museum plaque…”. There is no need for an entry in the Works Cited page.
For more help, visit THE WRITING CENTER website
(Links to an external site.)
or the Purdue Owl
(Links to an external site.)
website.
(Links to an external site.)
.
Spelling/Grammar:
Correct spelling and grammar are also a part of your grade. Use spell check and/or visit the Writing Center for help to improve your grade.
Avoid informal language, including use of the first person (I, me, my, we, etc.) This is a formal academic essay.

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