instructions for project --option #1

UNDERGRADUATES: Visit the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and choose a work of art completed between 1960 and the present day to write a paper on. Your paper should be OBJECT centered -- that is, I want your OWN opinion based on your observations NOT what is written on a wall tag or in a book etc. For this reason, it may be advisable to choose a work by an artist you have never heard of and that little or no information is supplied for.

IF YOU CHOOSE TO IGNORE THIS DIRECTIVE NORMAL PLAGIARISM PENALTIES WILL APPLY! (That means that if you do look at the wall tag or in a book and you use that information in your paper without citing the source, you will receive a zero on your paper). Keep in mind that I live in the twin cities and it will be excruciatingly easy for me to check at the Walker the weekend I grade your papers. The difference between a paraphrase and a quote: If more than two words (not including tiny ones like and, to, if) are identical to those in the original source, it is not a "legal" paraphrase. Paraphrases (which are footnoted to a source but do not have quotation marks around them) are your intellectualization of the facts and placing them in your own words. A direct quote appears exactly as it is in the original source (although it can be abbreviated using [. . . ] or modified slightly for tense, etc. by using words in square quotes [ ] ). THERE IS NOTHING "LEGAL" WHICH EXISTS BETWEEN A PARAPHRASE AND A DIRECT QUOTE.

What I expect in your paper: Minimum length = 5 pages (with normal size fonts, spacing & margins). I will consider in the grade the

QUALITY OF THE WRITING (organization, flow, presence of thesis statement and conclusion, mechanics) as well as the following three components for

CONTENT:

1. Coherent & concise description of the artwork (if you provide a sketch or picture, fine, but you should describe it IN WRITING as if I am blind and know nothing about art. That said, don't ramble on about every minute detail. Make it complete AND concise. Tell me how big it is, what color it is etc. If you want a handout to guide you in looking at a work of art, see me during office hours.

2. Placement of that work into a context shaped by your reading of Arnason and your class notes. Where does it fit in? What could it be related to in terms of style, content or possible meaning? Again, DON'T QUOTE your chosen textbook. The point of this paper is for you to demonstrate that you have absorbed the basics and can now EXTEND them to an "unknown" work of art. If you don't demonstrate that to me you are unlikely to be happy with your score.

3. A determination of what the work of art means TO YOU. Keep in mind that the "postmodern" condition expects you to draw, in large part, your own conclusions and to find your own meaningfulness in a work of art. Do not balk at this part and say "I don't know what the artist meant." That's a copout that will again indicate that you have not absorbed information presented in class and in your books.

GRADUATES STUDENTS: Complete the above assignment, at a minimum length of 10 pages. You may, at your discretion, compare and contrast two works, or complete some research to supplement your paper. Follow the directions about proper quoting methods, above, if you choose to quote and/or paraphrase. I strongly recommend that you see me with a draft of your thesis statement before you start writing.

description of course project - option #2 (100 points)

For your course project I would like you to plan, design and describe a monument to an artist or a movement covered in class. This necessitates that you have a. an interest in this artist or movement and b. that you take the time to do a little reading and/or research in order to understand that artist or movement. In order to receive credit, your project must have two components:

1. artistic/creative portion (drawings/Plans) and

2. written component (3-5 doublespaced pages) I do not expect you to build a monument, not even one on a small scale.

I would like drawings and/or paper collage of a size easily transportable. In addition to the plans/designs/drawings of the monument, a 3-5 page (double-spaced) description and explanation of the monument must be included. In this description relate:

1. Why you chose the artist or movement„what was it about this artist or artistic movement that attracted you?

2. What salient points of the artist's work or the movement's goals are you highlighting in the monument?

3. Where would you place this monument and why? (In the artist's place of birth, a country or city that s/he worked in etc.)

4. What will the monument look like when it is finished? Why?

5. What is the medium you would use to complete it? Why? You should not necessarily be concerned with the "audience" for this hypothetical monument. I am looking for a dialogue that you develop personally with the chosen artist or group. I am also looking for evidence that you understand the artistic/social/ cultural/personal goals and/or traits of the artist or movement.

Examples of possible subjects: Impressionism, Fauvism, Pollock, Cubism, Warhol, O'Keeffe....etc. It's up to you. Please feel free to discuss your interests with me during office hours. Hint: If you choose Picasso, you may want to focus on only one aspect of his career. If you want to attempt to make a monument to his entire life it will necessitate that you explain his entire life„which may be more work than you care to take on.