Art in the Non-Western World-ART-205

Objects Analyses Paper for Art 205 Art in Non-Western Cultures Online

Assignment:

You will write a comparative object analysis of two works of art of your choice should be chosen from the Permanent Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You will discuss the works in light of ONE of the following topics or from a topic of your choice:

• Power, Politics, and Glory (includes political and military leaders, war scenes, or art about peace)

1. Everyday Objects (includes objects with a utilitarian function)
2. Social Constructions of Gender (which can include art depicting couples, sex and sexuality, fertility, and offspring)
3. The Body (includes portraits, self-portraits, sickness and death)
4. Class (includes art that depicts luxuries of the ruling class, workers at work, the plight of the poor)
5. Icons (includes religious works that were thought to hold spiritual power for worshippers)

Assignment Objectives:

1. To integrate formal analysis and contextual analysis of two objects seen in person at a museum
2. Show development of ideas within paragraphs with a introductory thesis, visual evidence, and conclusion
3. Convince the reader that you saw it physically
4. Conduct some research on contextual information using outside sources
5. Objectify your perspective on a work of art
6. Conduct a compare/contrast on formal analysis and cultural context of the two artworks
7. Papers should read like a narrated Powerpoint presentation with an intro, then first image (captioned), text about first image, then second image (captioned), text about second image, compare and contrast, then conclusion. The paper should also include a works cited page at the end (see Format below).

Assignment Requirements:

You only need 2 works of art and they must be from a Non-European culture covered in class (China, Japan, India, Korea, Vietnam, the Americas, Oceania, Islamic cultures, etc.). You must identify the 2 works of art by artist, title, date, and medium within your paper. The two works have to be from two different cultures. Choose your examples with your theme in mind.

Papers should include a works cited with photographs of the two selected art works at the end of the paper. Photographs should be labeled by artist, title, year, medium, and location. If you do not include the works cited or photographs of your selected art works, paper will be marked down -10.

Questions to ask of an artwork while at the museum/constructing formal analysis:

• Why is the artist using this particular medium? What are its advantages? Its limitations?

• Are the lines thick or thin? Largely vertical or horizontal? Straight or curved? What is achieved by this particular use of line?

• Is the color realistic or expressive? Warm or cool? Bright or muted? And to what effect?

• How is light used? How is shadow used? Is there any play between the two? What is communicated to the viewer?

• What is the sense of space in the work you’ve chosen? Is there great depth, or is the visual plane shallow? How are the elements of the work configured in that space? How does the sense of space affect the subject matter? Affect your response to the work?

• How do the various formal elements of the work interact? How does the composition convey the work’s theme or idea? How does the eye move across the piece? How does the composition control that movement?

• What elements of the composition work to constitute the artist’s style? The style of the period in which the artist was/is working?

• Can you detect the hand of the artist? Are the brushstrokes smooth or rough? Were they applied with a controlled hand or spontaneously? What effect does this have on the work?

• Is the work in good condition? Are there any unfinished areas? Are there cracks in the paint? Are there any tears or scratches? What kind of frame is it in? How is it installed on the wall?

Questions to ask of the culture(s) while conducting research/contextual analysis:

(I recommend 2-3 outside sources. Outside sources include the textbook and other art history books, the museum website, text panels, audioguides, and other academic websites. No Chat GPT, wikipedia, quilt, flashcards.net, or personal blogs)

• Who commissioned it?

• What was the function?

• What does the medium reveal about the time period/ culture?

• What is the effect on the viewer?

• What values or messages about the culture does it reveal?

When you begin to see links between the formal elements and the larger issues of content and context, these connections are what should form the basis of your argument and thesis statement, in other words, what does each work reveal about the culture in which they were made? Start to organize the order in which you will present your evidence to the reader to prove your point. Eliminate any irrelevant mentions of formal elements that fail to further your argument. If writing about two different cultures, a quick compare/contrast of the two would be needed as part of your conclusion.

BEAR IN MIND:

The analysis is to be based primarily on your own observations. Outside research, properly cited, for the historical and contextual analysis is recommended but the visual observations should be your own. This is not a research paper!

Thus as the first stage of your work, you should think hard about as many aspects of the work as is possible. Consider the subject matter, color, application of paint, brushstroke, and/or style, composition, manipulation of space or emphasis on flatness, balance or asymmetry, etc. Then connect how each of these elements serve to advance the subject or function that the artist is addressing. In what ways does the work reflect and express the broader aesthetic, philosophical, and social concerns of the period in which it is made? How does it relate to its broader historical context?

• As the second stage of the work, you should compare the two works in relation to each other, keeping the theme or topic youve chosen foremost in your mind.

WRITING THE PAPER

Format for Papers:

Papers should be 3-5 pages typed, double-spaced, with 12-point font and submitted in to turnitin.com by your due date. Link is at the bottom of the page.

Sources should be documented using MLA-style parenthetical documentation. Bibliography must be included. 10 points

Illustrations/Photographs of the 2 works should be labeled by artist, title and date. 10 points

Some useful websites and lectures including how to cite art history sources such as museum text panels are located in the Met Museum Paper folder.

What to do:

• Begin your paper with an introductory paragraph that sets up the objects that you will discuss. Within the first or second paragraph, construct a thesis that lists the works and theme youve chosen and what your formal and contextual analyses will reveal about the culture.
• Keep your thesis in mind as you write, and make sure that you stick to the point. Everything you write should be illuminating your thesis and moving the argument forward.
• Make sure you have a concluding paragraph at the end.
• Proofread! I will take writing quality into consideration when assessing your paper grade.
• Please keep a duplicate copy of your paper on your computer.

What not to do:

• Do not produce a general summary of the works rather than a focused analysis that highlights your specific work and thesis.
• Avoid the use of value judgments such as “great” “best” “wonderful” “incorrect” “ugly” “inept” “it moved me”

Papers will be graded on clarity and specificity of thesis, appropriateness of images to the theme, quality of formal analyses, research on contextual information, and persuasiveness of argument. Additionally, style, organization, and correct grammar and spelling will also be factored into the grade. A rubric is included in the paper module.

Plagiarism is not allowed.

Direct text from outside sources should be avoided. The use of AI to generate text is prohibited and can be detected by turnitin. Students with AI present in their assignments will receive a 0 with no option to rewrite and will be reported to the Academic Dean.

Plagiarism is simply the use of others words and/or ideas without clearly acknowledging their source. Plagiarism,

To avoid plagiarism, you must give the original author credit whenever you use another persons ideas, opinions, drawings, or theories as well as any facts or any other pieces of information that are not common knowledge. Additionally quotations of another persons actual spoken or written words; or a close paraphrasing of another persons spoken or written words must also be referenced. Accurately citing all sources and putting direct quotations of even a few key words in quotation marks are required.

WRITE MY PAPER