ART HIST 1A03: Assignment Guidelines

School of the Arts        McMaster University

WORLD ART AND CULTURAL HERITAGE I

ART HIST 1A03, Fall 2014

Instructor: Greg Davies

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT: DUE NOV. 3, 2014 (Course Value:  35% of Final Grade)

Note that written assignments must be submitted in class (in hardcopy only) to the instructor NO LATER THAN November 3, 2014. Late papers will be deducted at the rate of 5% per day. Papers submitted by email or any format other than hard copy will not be accepted. Late papers resulting from illness must be accompanied by a doctor’s note. Please also note that papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers.

INSTRUCTIONS: 

            For this assignment you must select an original work of art or artifact (eg., ancient coin or vase) from the McMaster Museum of Art. Study the work closely and take note of its formal properties (its dimensions, the materials used, handling of colour, space, line, etc.). As you look at the work ask yourself questions about its appearance and the technique used by the artist. Is the work figurative or abstract? Does it appear as if the technique was challenging or not? Are the materials expensive (luxurious) or not? In other words ask yourself basic questions (similar to those we have used in lecture and tutorial) to generate a better understanding of the overall design of the work. After you have made your elemental observations you should then develop a structure for your essay. Your objective is to present a paper that clearly demonstrates, to the reader, how the technique and the materials contribute to the final appearance and the cultural significance of the work.

            Please note that both the content of your essay and the quality of your writing will be considered in the evaluation of your finished paper. Take the time to review and edit your rough draft before submitting your finished copy. You may need to make several revisions in order to meet the requirements of this assignment.

            NOTE: This is an exercise in visual analysis and NOT a research paper. You may certainly consult the gallery information provided adjacent to the work as this will clarify information on the materials, date(s), etc. However, you are encouraged to minimize consultation of sources on the artist, work or artifact as this may ultimately distract from your visual analysis.

FORMAT:

            Your paper will be 4- 5 written pages in length (1000 - 1250 words) with an accompanying title page (noting the title of your essay, your name and student number, due date, instructor’s name and course name and number). Note that the title page is NOT to be counted as one of the 4-5 written pages. You may include an image of the work discussed. If you use an image you should present it on a separate page, with identification of the artist’s name (if applicable), title, date and medium (or media), immediately after the body of the essay. This should be followed by endnotes (if you do consult any sources) and, finally, a bibliography (only if applicable). Your pages should be printed using 12-point type, double-spaced with the first line of each paragraph indented. Quotes should be avoided. For citations and bibliographic format you must follow the Chicago Style guidelines.