World Art

PAPER GUIDELINES World Art & Ideas II

Chose one work of any media (sculpture, painting, etc.) currently on display at the Saint Louis Art Museum, Laumeier Sculpture Park, or the Mildred Lane Kemper Museum at Washington University. The work must date after 1400 and be from a culture and time period we’ve studied (or will study) in class. YOU MUST INCLUDE A PHOTOGRAPH OF YOU WITH THE WORK WHEN YOU TURN IN THE PAPER.

Your paper should follow the structure below: • Introduction: Summarize the information you will present in your paper. Be sure

to include the title (always in italics), date, artist, size, and medium of the work. • Formal analysis (Description):

o Describe the composition o Analyze the elements (line, shape/form/space, texture, color) and

principles (movement, balance, perspective, emphasis and subordination, unity and variety) employed by the artist. Not all of the elements and principles will be present in every work, but keep in mind that the lack of an element or principle also makes in impact.

o Is the work naturalistic? Stylized? Idealized? Abstract? Non- representational? What makes it so?

• Content analysis (constructing meaning – this is where research comes in): o What is the subject matter of the work? o What is the theme or message the artist wishes to convey? Are there any

subtexts present? Does the artist use any metaphors or symbols to enrich the image’s meaning?

o How does this work illustrate the principles of the time period, style, or movement to which it belongs? What did this work mean or how did it function in the culture to which it belonged?

o How does the original context of the work (historical period, culture, location) frame its meaning? How has that meaning changed over time?

• Personal Interpretation: o What does this image mean to you? Does it relate to your life in any way?

What was your emotional reaction to the work? • Judgment:

o Notice that this is the LAST step in the critical process. We often jump right into judgment, which can prevent us from gaining understanding of a work or movement that might not immediately appeal to our taste. This step in criticism is not limited to “I like this work” or “I don’t like this work.” Judging a work of art also involves determining if the artist is successful in conveying meaning to the viewer. Is the work of art you have chosen thought provoking? Does it have aesthetic value (remember that aesthetic value does not necessarily equal beauty)? Does it successfully employ the elements and principles?

• Conclusion: Summarize

Format • 5-6 typed pages (NOT including your cover page!), double-spaced. • Cover page that includes the title of your paper, your name, the date, course title,

and my name • 12 point font, preferably Times New Roman • 1 inch margins all the way around the page • Consult at least 4 academic sources—articles (digital is ok), books published by

experts in the field, and museum or university websites are OK. Other websites, textbooks, and general magazines are not considered scholarly sources. Consulting non-scholarly sources can help give you some direction, but should not be relied upon for accurate information. o All sources consulted should be included in your bibliography

• ALL QUOTES AND IDEAS THAT ARE NOT YOUR OWN MUST BE PROPERLY CITED WITH FOOTNOTES. NOT CITING MATERIAL THAT IS NOT YOUR OWN IS PLAGIARISM, AND WILL BE TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY.

• Foot notes and bibliography in Chicago Style. See the back of this page for some common Chicago style citation examples. NO in-text citations.

• Proper formatting and citation style is 20% of your overall paper grade and points will be deducted if these requirements are not met.

Other Helpful Hints • Grammar, spelling, and clarity count! Have someone else edit your paper—we

often miss our own mistakes. Another reader can also point out areas that may not be clear.

• START EARLY so you can approach me with questions or make an appointment at the ACE center for help.

• I am happy to look at a draft of your paper, but bring it to me EARLY! I can’t look at drafts later than a week before the due date and they must be sent to me via email.

CHICAGO STYLE BIBLIOGRAPHIC GUIDELINES (Just a few examples)

If you need information on formatting sources other than the ones below, look it up in the Chicago Manual of Style or ask me! Points will be deducted if you do not format your citations correctly. You will need to include a bibliography in addition to your footnotes or endnotes.

*Always indent the first line of a footnote or endnote. *Always indent any line after the first of a bibliographic entry.

Basic format for a book Footnote:

1First Last, Title (city of publication: Publisher, date of publication), page #. (page # you got the info from)

1Robert Smith, A History of Twentieth Century Russia (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1998), 314.

Bibliography Last, First. Title. City: Publisher, date.

Smith, Robert. A History of Twentieth Century Russia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1998.

Work in an Anthology Footnote:

2Roland Barthes, “The Discourse of History,” in The Post Modern History Reader, ed. Keith Jenkins (New York: Routledge, 1997), 121.

Bibliography Barthes, Roland. “The Discourse of History.” In The Post Modern History Reader, edited by Keith Jenkins. New York: Routledge, 1997.

Article in a Journal 3Paula Findland, “The Material World of the Italian Renaissance,” American

Historical Review 103 (1998): 86. (*page number is the page you got the info from)

Findland, Paula. “The Material World of the Italian Renaissance.” American Historical Review 103 (1998): 83-114. (*page numbers of the entire article)

Article in a Magazine 4Andrew Weil, “The New Politics of Coca,” New Yorker, 15 May 1995, 70.

Weil, Andrew. “The New Politics of Coca.” New Yorker, 15 May 1995, 68-72.

Web Site 4Yale Richmond and Duane Goehner, “Russian Orthodoxy, “ Russian/American

Contrasts, 3 December 1997, <http://www.goehner.com/russianinfo.htm> (15 March 1998).

Richmond, Yale and Duane Goehner. “Russian Orthodoxy. “ Russian/American Contrasts. 3 December 1997. <http://www.goehner.com/russianinfo.htm> (15 March 1998).