Report

Online Reports: General Overview and

Instructions for Report 2

Online Reports: General Overview

The purpose of the Online Report assignments is to have students actively engage with works of art that they encounter in their physical environment and to relay and discuss their experiences with their classmates. There is a profound difference between experiencing works of art in a first-hand or direct manner versus the mediated experiences we have when viewing works in a book or in an online presentation. This excludes, of course, those works of art specifically created for experience in a digital environment, which are, indeed, "direct" experiences! The Online Report assignments provide us with a way to consider and reflect on the different natures of the direct versus mediated experience of art. An important goal for the Online Reports assignments is that students will have fun with the experience and that, through direct experience, discover new ways of seeing and thinking about works of art. Students will also share their experiences and thoughts with their classmates and instructor. The Online Reports are associated with several of the themes we study. Online Report 1 relates to the Identity and Body themes; Online Report 2 relates to the Time and Place themes. The two reports share similarities in the manner of presentation but will differ with regard to the prompt questions used to help focus your thinking. You will be asked to do the following for each assignment:

Document your experience in one or more photographs; Write a brief statement about your experience (prompt questions will be provided); Post your photograph(s) and statement to the respective Online Report Forum located in CANVAS; and For Bonus Credit: Review and respond to your classmates' Reports.

Special tip Follow-up Responses: It's important that you participate in a consistent and ongoing manner during the Follow-up Response period. Review and respond to the different Online report original postings periodically during the Follow-up Response period. Try to be generous in your comments and remember that honest criticism can and should be expressed in kind and respectful ways. Try to review each of the reports and be sure to select at least several reports to comment on. Pace your reviews and response comments and resist the temptation to "bunch" your Follow-up Responses by hurriedly posting during the last few hours of the Online Report period.

Successful participation in the Online Report assignments will demonstrate the student's

ability to:

ability to:

Interpret, assess, and evaluate the diversity and complexity of the contemporary art world and its interrelationships with the world at large and express his / her thoughts in written and visual form.

Reflect on the issues that affect the role of contemporary artists and art in society and express his / her opinions about those issues in an interactive, online discussion environment.

Evaluation Criteria

Each student is required to participate in both Online Report assignments. You may review the Evaluation Rubric for this assignment here (https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1978446/files/100187203/download) .

Online Report 2 (Art in our Midst): Instructions

The history of public art shows us that works located in the public sphere are often controversial but, at the same time, oftentimes cherished landmarks. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial (http://www.nps.gov/vive/index.htm) is an example of a work that was, initially, highly controversial but, within a short time, achieved the status of a revered landmark. They are sometimes permanent but they can also be temporary and ephemeral. The public works of Christo and Jean-Claude (http://christojeanneclaude.net/) or the ephemeral sculptures of Andy Goldsworthy (http://visualmelt.com/Andy-Goldsworthy) . The Nittany Lion Shrine (http://news.psu.edu/photo/286444/2013/09/05/nittany-lion-shrine-september-2013) is an example of a work that is appreciated as art but, perhaps, even more so as a symbol of the spirit of Penn State University and the community of people that work, study, and support it.

Whether we live in small towns, big cities, or decidedly rural areas, we will find works of public art if we truly take the time to stop and observe our environment in a thoughtful manner. State College and the University Park Campus, for example, have a surprisingly varied number of public works of art. For those of us located at University Park, we can easily identify an array of sculptures, murals, gardens, and unique buildings to enjoy and study as works of art.

Many times, however, we are simply not aware of the different works of art located in our everyday public environments. In other instances, we might be aware of public objects but do not recognize them as works of "art." The goal of this assignment is to create an Online report about a work of public art that you have discovered in your everyday environment and that, in the process of reporting, help each of us to discover cultural and aesthetic gems that we might otherwise overlook in our everyday lives. The "Online Report 2" assignment gives you the opportunity to interact with public art in person and to help others learn new ways to view and discuss works of public art.

Steps for "Online Report" 2:

1. Identify and select one work of public art located in your everyday physical environment to serve as the subject of your report. Select a work that you find striking visually and conceptually. You don't have to like the piece, but you should be moved by the work in some way.

2. Please select the work using the following guidelines: The work you select must have been created with intention as a work of art by a professional artist or designer. The following are not eligible for this assignment:

objects created by you; works of architecture or natural phenomena such as a sunset, tree, lake, etc.; works that you have viewed solely in an online gallery; works that are exhibited in an indoor museum; works displayed in private space such as an apartment or hallway; or body art (e.g., tattoos, piercings, body modifications).

3. Create a photograph of the work that includes you in the frame of the image as evidence of your direct, first-hand experience of the work. You may create more than one main view of the work so that you will have multiple images to choose from for submission to the Online Report 2 Discussion Forum. You are not permitted to use images of works from an online gallery or that are exhibited in an indoor museum or gallery for this assignment.

4. Use the following guidelines to prepare your image for submission to the Online Report 2 Discussion Forum.

Edit/adjust/crop your images to meet the following standards: Maximum image size - 1024 X 768 Maximum file size - 1 Megabyte (1024 k) Save the image in a common file type such as .jpg, .jpeg, or .png.

5. Reflect upon your immediate impression of the piece. Consider what drew you to this particular work. How do you feel about the work? What do you think about the work in relationship to its placement in its location? Does the work bring to mind any particular personal memories or important events in your life? Why do you believe this work should be noticed and appreciated? What do you consider to be particularly significant about this work?

6. Write a statement that discusses your reflections about the piece and your answers to the questions posed above. The statement should be 300 - 400 words long and carefully edited and reviewed for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

7. Post your written statement and at least 1 photograph of your selected public art work to the "Online Report 2" Discussion Forum. It is preferred that you embed your image directly into your Original Report post but you may submit it as an attached image file in .jpg, .jpeg, or .png format. Do attach files in a non-image format.

Respond to Your Classmates' Reports for Bonus Points!

1. Review the different reports posted by your classmates.

1. Review the different reports posted by your classmates.

2. Post response comments to at least 3 different Reports. Response comments should be substantive and strive to introduce thoughtful observations, ideas, or questions that go beyond simple congratulations. Strive for building on the classmate's report to which you are responding by identifying and discussing points of connection with your experience in creating your still life. It's perfectly fine (and gracious) to offer complimentary comments but it's also important to post comments or observations that introduce new ideas or avenues for discussion.