Modern Art History Museum Paper due 10/28, •approx. 800-1,000 words

MUSEUM PAPER

AHIS 6 – Modern Art History

PAPER DUE DATES:

Hard Copy Proof of Museum Visit: 3:00 pm Tuesday, November 19 in class

Canvas submission Final Draft: 3:00 pm Thursday, November 21 online

Optional:

Hard Copy Rough Draft: 3:00 pm Tuesday, October 31 in class

THE MUSEUM VISIT IS A COMPULSORY PART OF THIS ASSIGNMENT. YOUR ESSAY WILL NOT BE GRADED WITHOUT YOUR PROVEN ATTENDANCE AT THE MUSEUM. Museum proof may include any of the following:

· Ticket stub with name of museum and date

· Parking receipt with name of museum and date

· Museum brochure with date

· Museum flyer with date

· A “selfie” in front of the museum or chosen work of art time stamped with date

Assignment

Choose any ONE artwork in your textbook (it does not have to be a work we’ve gone over in class) AND choose ONE artwork that is currently on display at one the museums listed below. Your chosen work must fall in the time frame of this class: anything dated after 1700 CE.

Visit the museum and take notes on the visual aspects of your work as well as the contextual information provided by the museum wall, brochure, audio guide, website, etc.

You will then write a compare/contrast essay on these two chosen works of art. You will provide a thesis statement where you will make a connection between the two works. This connection can be visual or contextual. You will provide a visual analysis of each work that is supported by historical context. Take into consideration the date the works were made, the location of where they were exhibited and if this setting could have affected the artist and/or audience reception. This is not a research paper, so do not use Google search to research your works of art. Your textbook and museum info should suffice to make your argument and supporting points.

Pomona College Art Museum - https://www.pomona.edu/museum/

Claremont Art Museum - http://claremontmuseum.org/about/plan-your-visit/

Norton Simon Museum - http://nortonsimon.org/

The Huntington Library - https://www.huntington.org/hours-admission

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) - http://www.lacma.org/

The Broad Museum - http://www.thebroad.org/visit

Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) - https://www.moca.org/visit

The Getty Center - http://getty.edu/visit/center/

The Bowers Museum - http://www.bowers.org/

Long Beach Museum of Art - http://lbma.org/visit/

Notes to consider:

1) The primary emphasis of the paper should be your own description and analysis, informed by what you have learned about style and historical contexts. This is NOT a research paper. Papers with citations of “.com” websites will be marked down.

2) You are encouraged to include references to other works at the museum, or images we have studied in class in order to supplement your discussion, but the primary focus of your discussion should be the two main objects you have chosen.

3) The works you choose can be of any medium e.g. painting, sculpture, calligraphy etc.

4) FORMAT:

· 3-4 pages long (EXCLUDING title page and any images) (approx. 800-1,000 words)

· double spaced

· 12pt Times New Roman font

· 1 inch margins on all sides

· Your paper must include images of both works you have chosen with full image captions underneath them (artist, title, date, medium).

· Make sure you edit your paper. Papers with extra spaces, extra punctuation, or other oversights will be marked down.

Helpful Tips:

1) When starting to write think of questions like what is the scale? What colors does the artist use? Are they warm or cool? What kinds of lines are there (curvilinear, geometric, etc.)? Can you see brushstrokes? How does the artist arrange the composition? Is there deep space or shallow space? For sculpture, is it a relief or in the round? Is there texture? There are hundreds of different questions like these that you can answer about a single work.

2) Expand on your questions to make academic statements about the visual elements. Remember to describe each element when appropriate… “The sculpture consists of geometric lines that ascend diagonally from left to right, enhancing the drama of the work”…. “The contrasting colors of red and green are found across from each other on the color wheel and create a sense of tension in the work” … “The thick surface texture of the paint interacts with the light in the gallery space, creating a play of light and shadow that is suggestive of movement.” Etc.

(DO NOT copy these examples)

3) Titles are placed in italics… “Michelangelo’s David was completed in 1504.”

4) DO NOT use generic, space filling statements… “I really liked this painting.”

5) Try to organize your ideas in a clear logical manner. Break your writing into paragraphs based on each theme or idea explored in the paper. Include introductory and concluding paragraphs.

6) Perfect grammar is not required, however, papers with numerous words left out, incomplete sentences, major grammar errors, etc., will be marked down for lack of proofreading.

Before submitting your paper, check the following:

“Did I remember to …”

1. Format the paper according to the guidelines?

2. Reach the required length?

3. Provide images with captions?

4. Provide an argumentative thesis statement?

5. Organize my ideas into separate paragraphs?

6. Write an introductory and concluding paragraph?

7. Use key terms from class?

8. PROOFREAD?