ARTS 1A: Introduction to Visual Art                                                   Instructor: E. Bresnan 

De Anza College/Winter 2010

 

ART MUSEUM ASSIGNMENTÉ THIS IS FUN!!!

 

ADVISORY: TAKE THIS ASSIGNMENT to museum (plus pencils and pad of paper). NO PENS in museums.

 

DUE DATE: 8:30AM Wed Feb 17.  Grace Period /no penalty: 8:30AM Fri Feb 19 in Faculty Mail Drop  (on fountain side of ADM/Administration building).     PRINTED PAPER only. No email.     Early submissions are welcome.

Late penalty after 8:30 on 2/19: 10% per class day late. SEE REVISED DUE DATES ON WEBSITE.

        

LENGTH & FORMAT: Most students write about 1000 words to fully respond to the assignment.

            A typical paper with normal font size, margins runs approx. 250 words/page; so 1000 words is about 4 pages. (Bold print, wide margins, fancy scripts, large fonts, borders, overly large spacing represent obvious and silly attempts to make a paper seem longer.)

 

*Include full bibliographical record of works cited, if appropriate (research is not necessary to write an excellent paper).

*Attach signed record as evidence of your attendance at museum. You can request this at the reception desk.

*Attach your sketch (required) and photo (optional) at the end of paper.

*No report covers. (5 pt penalty for waste of precious natural resources.) Just staple in upper left corner.

*Your name on first page in upper right corner. Underline last name.

*EDIT your paper: eliminate repetition and irrelevant content. Assign an interesting TITLE to the paper.

*PROOFREAD carefully for spelling and grammatical errors. Reading the paper aloud will help you catch some of these. Use correct spelling of artist name and title of work. "Spell Check" does not have a brain, so use yours. Never use the computer "Change All" command. If you select the wrong word, it is wrong through the entire paper. Note the difference in meaning between definitely and defiantly. This is a common error in student papers that shows lack of proofing.

                     

ADVISORY:

*CHECK MUSEUM WEBSITES FOR HOURS, DRIVING, PARKING, ETC.

*TAKE THIS ASSIGNMENT to the museum (plus pencils and pad of paper). NO PENS in museums.

*IF YOU GO WITH A CLASSMATE, be sure to pick different works of art for interpretation. Otherwise your papers will be so similar that you will both have to start over and take a late penalty as a result.

 

OBJECTIVE:

            Your assignment is to analyze and interpret a work of modern or contemporary art that is currently on exhibit at one of the exhibits approved for this assignment. You must choose a work created after 1900 and you must study the work in person. You cannot write an acceptable paper based on memory or research or looking at images on a website. Papers written from a website or another source are readily apparent to the instructor and they get zero credit. 

 

Your paper should be based on your own perceptions and experiences of the work. This paper is a document of your thoughtful and studied response to a work of art. No one can read the artist's mind. I want to know what is on your mind. Do not write a paper describing the work. Do not write a paper summarizing what others have said. In fact, research is not required to write an outstanding paper. However, if you wish to do additional reading, be sure you understand and consider the difference between the comments and/or criticism made by the artist, and those made by a third party. 

 

GRADES: See course website for Grading Rubric

            Your paper will be graded on thoughtful content, originality, clear communication of your own ideas and feelings in response to the work. You should support your interpretation with evidence from the work itself. Excessive errors of grammar and spelling may result in a point penalty. I hope you will enjoy this project even as you learn from it.

 

IMPORTANT: There are only two (2) exhibits approved for this assignment:        

            You may select any work of modern or contemporary art (created after 1900) from the exhibits at San Jose Museum of Art, in downtown San Jose, or Cantor Center for the Arts on Stanford campus in Palo Alto. Visit the museum websites to preview the current exhibits. You will find information on driving directions, transit, parking/ parking fees, admission fees, hours of operation etc. on the website. Museum websites also have brief descriptions and previews of the current exhibits, which can be very helpful if you do not know which museum you would like to see.

A          SJMA has an admission fee, $8.00, however there are discounts for students and seniors: Take your Student Body Card (possibly also BofA card, transit pass). SJMA also has some interesting audio and video files on its website. Park on the street (1 or 2 hour limit, too short) or in public lots for a fee. SJMA has a permanent collection that is rotated regularly and offers a wide variety of contemporary painting, photography and sculpture. SJMA docents give guided tours and are generally available in galleries to talk with you about the art, if you wish. (Docents: people who love art and volunteer their time to talk with interested visitors.) Closed Mondays. Currently not open in evenings after 5pm. http://www.sjmusart.org

 

B          Cantor Center does not charge an admission fee. During the day there is permit-only lot and metered street parking in front of museum. Both are free to public on weekends and evenings (unless there is a major sports event on campus). Cantor Center has historical European galleries as well as Asian and African art. There is a large collection of Rodin sculpture, both indoors and out, which is NOT ACCEPTABLE for this assignment, as he belongs to the 19th century more than the 20th. However, on the 2nd floor you will find works from the museum's collection of 20th century art- not as much or as varied as SJMA. A new exhibit of 20th century masters of Chinese Brush Painting opens 2/17. See website for details on some related events and an interview about the exhibit. There is also an exhibit of contemporary video art by artists living in or working in Africa and the Diaspora (in the expanded African art galleries, not on 2nd floor). At Cantor Center docents lead tours but are not regularly available in galleries. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Open Thursdays until 8PM.    http://museum.stanford.edu

 

ADVISORY:  TAKE THIS ASSIGNMENT to the museum (plus pencils and pad of paper). NO PENS in museums.

            You will not be able to write an acceptable or substantial paper based on your memory. You need to record your thoughts and reactions while you are looking at the art. You may wish to make several drawings as well. Sit down if there is a bench, and take your time. (At SJMA the docents are happy to bring you a stool if you request it.) Previous students have said they spent 3 enjoyable hours at the museum. Some spent two hours and wished they had more time. Plan for a minimum of two hours at the museum.

 

LOGISTICS

            Go with classmates, if you wish. Carpool. It is more fun and you have someone with whom you can discuss the work. This is not a group paper. Be sure you do not write about the same art piece or your papers will be similar. I will return such papers to everyone involved. You will need to select different art objects and write a new paper with significant late penalty. (I will allow time in class for you to arrange carpools.)

 

AVOID PLAGIARISM: Papers must be in the student's own words & voice.

            If you paraphrase or quote any other opinions, whether verbal, written, electronic or other media, you must cite your source (i.e., museum literature or signs, commentary by museum docents or tour guides, electronic, printed or radio reviewers). If you paraphrase someone elseÕs ideas without crediting your source, you are committing plagiarism, which will result in a grade of zero. (You may use whatever method of citations you prefer, MLA, Chicago or parenthetical with a separate page for Sources Cited. If you need assistance here, please refer to my website, left margin, for a link to library pages that are very comprehensive: how to avoid plagiarism, how to cite sources of all types, etc. If you have questions after reading it, talk to me or reference librarian. There are also many writing guides available with simple explanations and good examples of citations: See library website and in the reference section of the library. If necessary, papers will be submitted to TurnItIn.com or a similar plagiarism-check website.

 

ASSIGNMENT REQUIREMENTS:

            Allow adequate time at the museum, minimum 2 hours. Most students spend 3 hours. Carefully examine and consider the work you have chosen. This is an exercise in careful observation and reflection. Demonstrate that you have examined the work thoughtfully and show evidence of original thinking in your response. The introduction to your paper should identify the work you have chosen by title, artist, media, date, title of exhibit, date of your visit, and name of museum. The body of your paper should address the items below in a clear and organized manner. The list below is not intended as an outline for your paper, nor should you feel restricted to only these ideas. Your own unique style and response to the art will determine the best way to organize your paper. The conclusion of your paper should summarize your personal estimation of the effectiveness of the work. How successfully did the artist achieve her/his objective? What was the nature of your experience with the work after giving it long and serious consideration? Note the points associated with questions on the back of this page. Some are more heavily weighted because they are more important and require more thought.

 

 

STEP-BY-STEP:

1          Walk through the entire exhibit. What is your response to the presentation and the overall feeling of the exhibit?

Museums run many exhibits simultaneously. If you go to a large museum, such as Cantor Center, don't try to see the entire museum. Read the museum information signs posted with the exhibits. They provide interesting, relevant and helpful background information with regard to the artist or the work. Sometimes there is free literature about the show, which is also very helpful. It may be a copy of the signage or an expanded version of the signage. (PLEASE: Do not paraphrase or quote museum materials in your paper unless quotes are essential to support your own specific ideas.)

 

2          Select only one work to analyze & interpret. Plan to spend significant time studying the work: the significance and meaning of a work will not be entirely revealed on first impression. This occasion may be the first time you have ever spent so much time looking at a single work of art; this process is AN IMPORTANT part of the assignment. Note points below and where you need to spend most time.

 

3          Your analysis must address each of the following:

Subject, Content, Formal Analysis, Media or Technique, Context and the function of art in our culture today.

 

The following questions are just to get you started. They are probably not the right questions for every work of art, but they may be a helpful place to begin.

 

Subject

            If the work is representational or abstract, what is the subject? If this work is in a new media or technology, could it be considered a new treatment of a traditional art theme such as portraiture, landscape, etc.?

 

Content or Meaning

            This is the most important part of your paper so donÕt be too brief here. After all, this is what the art is all about. What do you think is the meaning of the piece? What are the clues in the work that lead you to this conclusion? What additional themes are addressed directly or implied by the artist? Does the artwork cause you to re-consider these ideas or think about them in new ways? What does the title of the work signify?

 

Formal Analysis

            Choose the 2 (and only 2) Formal Elements that you think are most important to interpreting meaning in the work. (Do not inventory all of the formal elements in your paper: Limit yourself to the 2 most important for that work of art.) How did the formal elements communicate or reinforce the meaning of the work? To refresh your memory they are:

            Line, Shape (2D), Form or Mass (3D), Space, Texture, Time/Motion, Light/Value, Color

 

Medium/Media & Technique

            Medium/Media refers to the material it is made from, i.e. oil paint on canvas, carved stone, etc. Technique is the way the material is constructed, applied etc. How does the media and/or technique influence and/or enhance the meaning? If it not a traditional media or process, do you think the new technology or material is superior to traditional media? Why?

 

Context & The Function of Art in Culture at the end of the 20th century

            Why did the museum curator select the work for inclusion in this exhibit? Does this work have special relevance or significance to viewers today? If it is more than 20 years old, does it signify something different than when it was originally created? What is the value of this art exhibit in todayÕs society?

 

Attach a sketch of the work to your essay (Size: 8.5x11, no larger)

            Making a sketch while you are in front of the art will actually help you to observe more carefully. A sketch drawn at home from a photo will not serve any purpose. You will not be graded on the quality or skill of this drawing, as long as you make a serious effort. No credit for photos, although you may wish to include one of yourself next to the artwork you are interpreting.

end