Visual Arts Compare and Contrast

PAPER ONE: COMPARE AND CONTRAST * VISU 1000 Introduction to Visual Art

Formatting and Submission Guidelines:

Your paper must be 2-4 double-spaced pages and typed in Times New Roman, 12-point type, with 1.5-inch margins. You must include a title for your paper, your name, and page numbers. Approximately 500-1000 words. Your paper is due on or before Feb 24, 2021 before 11:59 p.m.

A Few Instructions before Writing your Paper:

Students will select one pair of artworks from the three options provided. First, you will visually analyze the artworks and formally compare them. How are they similar and how are they different? This is meant to be a comparison paper and not two individual descriptions of the artworks. You must clearly connect your description of the two artworks. Next, read about the two works in the textbook, where the selected works of art are illustrated and discussed. Finally, apply what you have read throughout the textbook to expand your analysis and suggest a deeper interpretation of the two works of art.
Your paper must have an introduction where you introduce your two artworks (title, artist, date medium) and propose a thesis: the connection that you see between the two pieces. In the body of your paper carefully describe both artworks. What medium are they? Is the process additive or subtractive? Are they in relief or free-standing? How does the artist use form, perspective or line to organize the composition? What other elements are important in both artworks? Frame your descriptions in a way that makes sense for the flow of the paper. Make certain that your descriptions are clear and connected. Each element described should hinge upon the next so that by the end, I should know what the two artworks look like and how they are alike or different. Pay attention to the choices that each artist makes and the subjects, style, and effects of each work. Tip: all these works are sculpture. You will need to look at the 2-dimensional photograph of the front view of the work of art and try to imagine its three-dimensional form. You should be cognizant of the fact that shadows and highlights are made by the external lighting in the photograph and are not intrinsic colors or characteristics of the artwork. However, the darkness of the shadow might indicate depth or shallowness in the carved form.
Your concluding paragraph should connect your formal descriptions of the artworks with your thesis statement. For example, do both works present a similar subject but in vastly different ways? Why do you think the artists may have chosen their style of representation or chosen to emphasize one aspect of the composition of subject? Utilize the textbook to propose connections to the artist’s biography, the movement or style, the location, and/or historical context for the images’ production. You must include two short quotes from the textbook, one for each artwork. Your quotations should be followed by parenthetical citations: (Fichner-Rathus, pg. #). In your conclusion, you should wrap up your observations and restate your thesis. (Never include new information in a conclusion. It is purely a place for summary.)
This paper is meant to continue your training in “formal analysis” by connecting the description of the artworks with their historical, stylistic, or geographic contexts(s). You should not add information into your paper that you cannot draw directly from viewing the artwork and reading the textbook. You should not consult any other sources. Plagiarism is a serious academic offense and will not be tolerated. Any plagiarism in your paper could result in a zero for the assignment (0).

Grading:

Your paper will be graded for content as well as the way you present your ideas and observations. Access the Paper rubric on Blackboard to see the grading criteria. Except in extenuating circumstances or by prior arrangement, late assignments will incur a penalty of 1/3 of a letter grade per day. Students are encouraged to work with the AUM Learning Center tutors with the Compare/Contrast paper and will receive 5 pts. bonus points.