ART 111 - Compare and Contrast Essay - Two Works of Art Topic: You will compare and contrast at least 2 works of art by two different artists that you have observed while visiting an art museum. Length of paper:3 to 5 typewritten pages – double spaced, 12 pt. type Project deadline: Presentation:Your finished paper should be submitted in a report folder with a cover sheet clearly labeled with your name, the title, and artists of both works. Please include:Your museum notes and the signed museum verification form. Museum Visit: Writing about art is not so very different from writing about other subjects. One of the main differences is that writing about art tends to be more descriptive. Art is a visual experience, and you cannot write meaningfully about it without describing what you see. During your museum visit, choose two very different works of art by two different artists, which are of particular interest to you. As you observe the two works carefully, take notes concerning their likenesses and differences. Notations can be made using the following visual language:
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Subject/theme Medium Time period Cultural differences Space/perspective Color Texture Line Balance Purpose Style Emphasis Focal point Scale Repetition
Research: When you research a work of art, you make it your own. It becomes part of your personal storehouse of knowledge, because you will forever know more about that particular work than most other people do. Nearly always, this causes you to feel a special fondness for the work. You can research the two artists you have chosen through books or on the internet.
Information concerning the artist, style and time period will help a great deal when comparing and contrasting the works of art. Excellent sites that will provide you with information are: www.reynoldahouse.org http://mhhe.com/catalogs/hss/art/ http://webster.commnet.edu/mla/index.shtml www.nga.gov/collection www.wwar.com www.ncartmuseum.org http://witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHLinks.html http://artchive.com www.moma.org www.artlex.com
WRITING THE PAPER: Begin your paper with a description of placement and presentation of the two works in the museum and provide a brief background of each artist. How much information you provide is entirely up to you, but if you research the artist and the time period in which the art was created, your discussion will contain more depth! TOPIC: The topic that you will be handling in this paper is the comparison and contrasting of two works of art that you have chosen, using the notes that you took at the museum. PURPOSE: This paper is meant to display your command of the visual language of art as you test the quality of your own thinking when comparing and contrasting two very different works of art. As you think critically and form your opinions about the two works of art you are evaluating, be sure to follow the seven steps outlined on page 4 in the textbook.
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Identify the artists’ decisions and choices Ask questions/be curious Describe the object Question your assumptions Avoid an emotional response Do not oversimplify or misrepresent the art object Tolerate uncertainty
GRADING CRITERIA/CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS: This assignment asks you to use certain critical thinking skills. These skills are listed below. Your grade for this assignment is based in part on how well you demonstrate these skills as you compare and contrast the two works of art.
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demonstrate a clear understanding of the assignment’s purpose clearly define the main points of contrast and comparison between the two works identify and evaluate relevant, significant points of view (the artists’ and any other relevant viewpoints)
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gather sufficient, credible, relevant information on the works of art and the artists – during the museum visit and from library/Internet research identify and accurately use relevant key concepts (for example, any of the concepts listed on the first page of this assignment: medium, color, texture, line, balance, focal point, scale, etc.) identify assumptions about the artworks and/or artists and evaluate them: are they valid? follow where evidence (information gathered during research and museum visit) and reason lead in order to obtain thoughtful, logical conclusions about the two art works and/or artists
Your writing will also be evaluated using the following standards:
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Clarity: Is it understandable? Accuracy: Is the information true to fact? Precision: Are the descriptions appropriately detailed and specific?
Compare and Contrast - Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh After viewing the two movies about Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso, you need to make some decisions concerning these two masters. Write a 3 to 5 page paper in which you answer the following question: Which of these two artists had a greater impact on Modern Art? In answering this question, you will need to logically think through the following issues. You will also need to compare and contrast the two artists in the process. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
The artists’ training and background Common themes throughout the artists’ work Purposes the artists may have had The artists’ logic The artists’ contributions to the art world Career directions
What does it mean to logically think through these issues? In part, it means that you should carefully, deliberately, purposefully, and deeply think about each of the topics above. Your final paper should present a logical answer to the assignment’s question: Which of these two artists had a greater impact on Modern Art? To be logical is to bring a variety of thoughts together into an order that makes sense. When the thoughts make sense in combination, the thinking is logical. If there are contradictions, the thinking is not logical. You will think critically about the information you’ve gathered on each of the six issues above to reach a logical answer to this assignment’s question. The critical thinking skills described below also help to explain good, logical thinking.
Grading Criteria/Critical Thinking Skills: This assignment asks you to use certain critical thinking skills. These skills are listed below. Your grade for this assignment is based in part on how well you demonstrate these skills as you compare and contrast the two artists.
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demonstrate a clear understanding of the purpose of the assignment clarify and precisely define key terms and concepts (for example, define your use of “greater impact”—what does it mean to have “greater impact”? What criteria are you using to decide who had a greater impact?) gather sufficient, credible, relevant information (the movies; any additional research you do on the six issues listed above) identify and evaluate assumptions follow where evidence (the information you’ve gathered) and reason (your thinking about that evidence) lead in order to obtain a defensible, in-depth, logical answer to the question: Which of these two artists had a greater impact on Modern Art?
Other Grading Criteria: Your paper will also be assessed using the following standards:
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Clarity: Is your writing understandable? Accuracy: Is the information given true to fact? Precision: Does your writing contain enough detail, specifics?
Danajean Mabry’s Explanation A common misconception of students entering my art appreciation course is that, due to the subjective relativism of the very nature of art, it is acceptable to base thinking on beliefs and opinions. “I don’t know anything about art, but I know what I like” is a common quote repeated in my classes. I have found that students tend to accept or reject art according to their own background experiences, values and the surrounding social milieu. The argument that art should not be assessed at all, or without any rational process, is invalid. Art should be assessed in accordance to the intellectual standards that apply to all reasoning. The methodology of metacognition can create independent thinkers and autonomous learners who actively make sense of their understanding of many different types of art. A contributing factor to learning to think in visual terms within the discipline of art includes the ability to compare and contrast. While this technique of synthesizing knowledge is often used in other disciplines, it becomes a bit more challenging when comparing two very different styles or artists. I have found that while difficult at first, compare/contrast assignments produce more logical and careful thinking that creates a deeper sense of appreciation for the arts. I begin these compare/contrast assignments by explaining that to compare is to examine two or more objects, ideas or people in order to note similarities and differences. An explanation and illustration of the ability to liken, assimilate, analogize, relate or examine side by side follows. Next, I explain that to contrast is to compare in order to show likenesses or differences; note the opposite natures, purposes, etc. After several collaborative learning exercises in which the students are encouraged to freely exchange their ideas about various artists, personal likes and dislikes, they are moved into a series of questioning which facilitates judgment that relies on criteria, is self-corrective and is
sensitive to context rather than personal bias. Art students are generally more comfortable with narrative writing, especially when the subject is artwork or an artist that they are not familiar with. Moving them into expository writing is a bit more challenging. In comparison and contrast method, students must seek out logical ways of organizing their observations regarding artwork and the artists they are comparing. By concluding the assignment with a decision based upon the information that the student has gathered, they are reasoning with a purpose in mind. I use the compare/contrast chart and the handout with tips for organizing compare/contrast papers (examples attached) to help the students organize their thoughts and ideas while they strategize the writing of the paper. The Picasso and Van Gogh paper is prefaced with the showing of two movies based on the artists’ lives, and the students are encouraged to take notes while they view the movies. The project outline provides the students with issues to think through logically as they answer the question of which artist had a greater impact on Modern Art. With the museum visit compare/contrast essay, I provide the students with a list of visual language and concepts covered in class to help them organize their thoughts as they take notes concerning the likenesses and differences of different paintings that they see. These hand-written notations are a required component of the finished paper. These compare/contrast critical thinking projects have become a very successful project in my art appreciation classes. Paul and Elder define critical thinking as the kind of thinking – about any subject, content or domain – that improves itself through disciplined analysis and assessment. This can only be achieved by learning how to think with discipline within that subject. The Art student must learn to “think like an Artist” to evaluate a great work of art, to understand an artist’s purpose and to define the logic of art. This type of thinking often places students outside their comfort zone. Teaching students to think like an artist will significantly impact their ability to enjoy and appreciate the world of visual images which surrounds them, thereby enhancing their life.