Writing Project – Research

Written Project – Research

Due by 11:59 PM Sunday, 23 APRIL 2023

Point Value – 100 points

Please read all of these directions so that you don’t loose out on any points!

GENERAL PROJECT EXPLANATION: In this project, you will complete research paper on a specific piece that is in your text under Chapters 17 – 20. Those are the chapters in the text that we will not be studying. This is basically a Modern Art research paper. If you are familiar with any of the images in those chapters, this will be a great way for you to learn how to discuss those images. Below you will see the instructions for the paper. You have from 24 March 2023 through 23 April 2023 to research, write, and submit your paper. The DropBox will open on 14 April 2023 at 5:00 P.M. so that you can upload your paper. Your paper is due by 23 April 2023 at 11:59 P.M.

Requirements:

Assignment:

Your paper should be a MINIMUM of five and a half to six (6) pages long (this does not meant that 2 sentences are at the top of page 5 and YOU think this is 5-1/2 pages) with an introduction including a thesis statement, at least four supporting sections, a conclusion, and a SEPARATE BIBLIOGRAPHY (this means it starts on a separate page). YOU MUST HAVE AT LEAST 5-1/2 (middle of page) to 6 FULL PAGES of text, not including your bibliography!!!! I WILL COUNT. AS THIS IS YOUR ONLY PAPER THIS SEMESTER, IT NEEDS TO BE THOROUGH! You must choose an artist whose work was completed between 1860 and 2022 (Modern Era). PLEASE NOTE: I would like to look at more artists instead of those that you know, therefore, you CANNOT write about Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, or Salvador Dali (believe me, there are many artists out there that are equally as interesting). Remember Parkland Libary and please use it! In your paper you should discuss the artist, what mediums does the artist use, and which one(s) does the the artist prefer? Include information such as what specifically drew you to this artist (was it their work that appealed to you?). Find out as much as you can about the artist, his/her work, life, or anything you might find interesting that or unusual. Write this paper to inform the reader about the artist and the artist’s work as if they have never seen anything by this artist. You may use the text (Chapters 17-20) but you also are required to have at least 3 additional sources (NOT WIKIPEDIA) for your information and include all of your sources in your bibliography!

Format: 15 points

Please use Microsoft Word or a similar program to write your paper with and all of your margins should be 1 inch. You may upload one of the following file types: .doc, .docx, or .pdf. Make sure that you include your Name, the Course # (Art-165-351W 22 FA), The Assignment, My name, and the Date you are writing the paper. These all should go at the top, left side of page 1 of your paper. It is helpful to have your pages numbered. You can do this in your Header/Footer option in most programs. On pages 2-7 you may want to put your name in the top header and the page number in the footer or put them both in the header, it is up to you but if you don’t have either one, you will have a deduction of -1 point for each missing item. Your heading for the first page should be your name, course #, assignment, my name, date, and Title. The paper must be double spaced and please use a font similar to Times Roman, 12 point. You may use section titles to correspond with the required information (listed below) or you may use those items as headings for the sections (i.e., Introduction, Artist Information, etc.). Additionally I will expect you to have a college level paper, that is, correct grammar, spelling, and reference information in the body of the paper. If you are unsure of how to do this, please contact the Writing Lab.

Grammar, spelling, etc. is worth 15 points in this paper so please be sure to proofread. If you run a spell check that is fine, but it is not going to pick up instances where a word is spelled correctly but is not the correct word (example: here or hear). If you need to, read it out loud to make sure it sounds correct. You can also print it out and have someone else read it. I always had my sister read my papers!

Section I: 10 points

This section is an introduction and should contain a brief introduction to your artist, the work you have chosen, and also your thesis statement. Start out with an attention grabber. This should be a sentence or two that will lead into your thesis statement. The thesis statement is basically a sentence stating what your paper is about and should be the last sentence in the first paragraph of this section. Such as: “Monet’s work was instrumental to the development of the Impressionist style because his experiments with light on the canvas at the beginning of the period influenced the work of many other artists during that period.” Note that if you do not quite understand what constitutes a good thesis statement, contact the Writing Lab. Include at least 1 additional paragraph.

Section II: 15 points

This section should talk about the artist. Include as much information as you can find, such as where the artist born, background, schooling, who were the artist’s influences or teachers, and be sure to mention his/her family life (sometimes, as in the case of Van Gogh, this is extremely important). If you need to access a website or book to find additional information on the artist and his/her work, please be sure to add this information in the bibliography at the end of your paper. Be careful about copying information as I will check your sources. Please check the Writing Lab to make sure you are including your quotations or paraphrasing correctly, if you are unsure.

Section III: 15 points

Pick a specific piece by the artist that appeals to you and describe it as if the individual you are describing it to has never seen it or can’t go to see it. You must include the title of the piece as well as the medium and size. Think about the materials used and how they contribute to your understanding and reaction to the piece. Include dimensions and date the piece was made. If dimensions are not listed, estimate the size. The description should include subject matter or what you see in the image. Start with general information about the piece and progress to more specific information. Please remember that this is about ALL of the artist’s works, not just painting!

Section IV: 15 points

This section should be about the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design. Pick three of the most important elements of art (line, shape, value, color, texture) and write about how they apply to the piece you chose. Next pick three of the most important principles of design (balance, rhythm, motion, unity/variety, scale/proportion, focal point/emphases, space) write about how they apply to your piece. This section is extremely important as you need to understand how these are applied to individual works of art and be able to describe them in this way. You may want to have one paragraph for the elements of art and one for the principles of design (or 1 for each element or principle), it is up to you, but you should remember that points will be deducted if you do not have 3 Elements AND 3 Principles.

Section V: 15 points

Describe your own emotional or intellectual interpretation of the piece. You might include why you chose this piece over any other work by this artist. Don’t just say you like it because it’s cool. You could have chosen to discuss it because you DON’T like it. What stands out to you about this work? Why do you like or not like it? How does it make you feel? What is your interpretation? What do you think the artist is trying to say? You must address this in at least 2 paragraphs.

Section VI: 15 points

This section is your conclusion. You should restate your thesis statement, summarize the four main subpoints (Sections 2 – 5) of your paper and leave the reader with an interesting final impression or describe your final impression of the work.

FINALLY: You must have a separate Works Cited (Bibliography) page in your paper for your referenced works, including your textbook. Don’t just throw in a webpage, list it properly! You may use either MLA or the Chicago Manual of Style for your formatting choices. Additionally, if you do use reference material in your paper, remember to indicate it by including the author, publication date or website in parentheses at the end of said quote or paraphrase in the text of your paper where you are referencing it. A rule of thumb regarding whether to use quotation marks or not is that if you have more than 3 words in a row, taken directly from your reference, it should be a quote. Make sure it is a SEPARATE PAGE, not a continuation on page 6 of your paper. If you do not have an appropriate Works Cited page, you will receive a 5-point deduction (taken from the 15 points for Grammar).

OPTIONAL: Should you want to include an image of the work you are writing about, you will receive an additional 5 points (bonus) for doing so. Include the image on a separate page, before the Bibliography in your file.

Total points for paper: 100

DON’T FORGET YOU CAN ALWAYS CONTACT THE WRITING LAB at the link on the Cobra System Home Page, for tips, tricks, and editing help or stop in to the Lab in person! Remember, if you are unsure of anything in the above instructions, email me and I can set up a Teams meeting to discuss the issue.

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