The Imaginary Show

The Imaginary Show/ Research Paper
* Any plagiarism will result in a 0 or F for the assignment.
*Please note: I will be posting the Final Paper submission after I have collected and graded your proposals in week 10.
Papers should be approximately 6 pages- or 3000 words minimum. Please note that I grade primarily on the content of your paper, the quality of your thoughts and on the inclusion of all 8 photographers and parts listed below. I will not scrutinize the length of your paper unless it is glaringly short.
Imagine you are a museum curator of contemporary photography, and have just received a commission to put on a show at the San Jose Museum of Art. (Links to an external site.) The show may be on any theme of your choice- but must be photography related. For example you might choose one art movement, and explore it in depth- or choose something broader like documentary photography.
This is a chance to express what you find most interesting photographically. If you need some suggestions, here are some ideas to help you think about your own:
Street photography
Contemporary takes on portraiture
The evolution of landscape photography
War photography from World War 2 to present
This research paper will be in the form of a curatorial statement. (Links to an external site.) In a curatorial statement- you- the curator will explain the theme of the show to the viewer, and why you believe it is interesting enough for the viewer to pay admission to see your show at the San Jose Museum of Art. You should give enough explanation, and relevant background information to tie the artists/ photographers you chose into the theme of the show.
Choose 8 (or more) photographers (or artists using photography in a way that comments significantly on photography) that apply to your theme in an interesting way.
3 of the 8 photographers must have been covered in class.
Your Research Paper/ Imaginary Show Curatorial Statement should have the following:
Title your show. 5 points
The the introductory paragraph please explain the show’s theme. Write a statement to explain exactly what your show is about, and why you believe it is interesting enough for the public should come see it. 20 points
What does your exhibition theme comment on? Is it about an art movement? About society? About an artistic trend? A time period?
Describe why you believe is it interesting? Why should your audience want to see your exhibition?
Describe each artist you are including. Explain how they relate to your exhibition’s theme.
For the body paragraphs of your curatorial statement please do the following For each photographer or artist, please touch on the following as is relevant to your show; 45 points total
The specific pieces or bodies of work you are including (you can include 1 or more for each artist). Give a brief description of the work- it’s materials, additional media included (like painting or sculptural elements), and size. Also give the correct title of the work, and when it was made.
Give relevant biographical information and give historical context for the artist’s work. When was the artist/ photographer making the work you are including? Was there any relevant historical events that influenced the making of that work? What was their intentions, and who/ what was their influence?
How are you interpreting their work to fit into your exhibition’s theme? How does the artist (using photography) or the photographer explore and expand on your theme?
Include a Conclusion Paragraph where you sum the wider significance of your theme.
At the bottom of your essay please include the following:
A list of artists, and their artworks that includes the following information:
artist first and last name
names of the specific pieces or series in the show
date the pieces were made
the print dimensions (size) and materials
*A quick note about the dimensions and materials: If the source you are using does not include this information you can do one of two things: leave this portion black, or write in your own choice of size and materials. If you choose the later option, please indicate that it was your design choice.
10 points
and
2. A bibliography
If you have any sources you quoted or used in your statement, please cite them (Links to an external site.) in your bibliography. You can use any format to cite your works that you prefer (MLA or APA).
5 points
The entire essay is worth 85 points.
These examples of curatorial statements may give you some inspiration when thinking about how to design you imaginary show, and how to approach writing your statements:
https://archive.newmuseum.org/exhibitions/928 (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)
http://whitney.org/Exhibitions/Synthetic (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)
Extra Credit: 10 points
If you are interested in a challenge, and visually inclined please include some kind of visual representation of your show. This could include:
A mock up of an exhibition program including examples of the works alongside your curatorial statement.
A mock up floor plan of your exhibition, that lays out how and where works will be displayed. This does not have to be true to the actual San Jose Museum of Art – you are welcome to make up a completely fictional floor plan.
A poster advertising your show.
If you have another idea for extra credit, please email me for approval (at least 1 week before the paper’s deadline).
Please let me know if you have any questions- and please keep in mind the best way to get your questions answered quickly is to message me in canvas.
One final but important note: You will be submitting your papers through turnitin.com, which will automatically cross reference your work with other papers to check for possible plagiarism.

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