ARTH 1130 Research Essay Outline

ARTH 1130 Research Essay Outline (one page, double-spaced, 12 pt. font) (10%)

The purpose of this exercise is to give you a chance to plan a coherent research project. The project is to be comparative (involving two works of art/artifacts/monuments from the same period). We want to see that youve chosen material to work with in your research essay that is both interesting to you and relevant to the class. In this proposal you will show that you have carefully selected artworks and texts to begin to answer a guiding research question. While your answer to this research question will come together in the course of reading, thinking and writing, for the proposal we would like to see you attempt an answer or a thesis statement. 

Write in paragraphs where applicable and label the sections of the proposal following this breakdown:

1) Name two objects from one period(artworks/artifacts/monuments) that you will compare/contrastin your essay. Use the periods in the Kleiner texts as a guide or, if you are choosing objects from a non-Euro-American tradition make sure your two objects were produced within 100years of one another. You are free to choose something not included in the textbook, but make sure you have access to information about the objects you choose. You should include images of your objects and their titles where applicable, the names of their makers if they are known, the date of their production, and their current place of display. (2%) 2) A research question and thesis statement (or answer to your question) that is aimed at clarifying a relationship of some kind between the objects. Here are the broad outlines of some possible research questions: On what grounds can we compare/contrast the quality of the objects (why is one better or worse than the other, and by what standard)? How do the materials used in these objects, or the technologies involved in their making determine their form? How have the makers of these objects been steered in their creative process by the (social, political, economic) forces of history? How did these objects steer the course of the histories of which they are a part? On what grounds are these objects included by art historians in particular national traditions or cultures? How do the objects contribute to a group or personal identity? How do the objects deliver a social or political commentary? To what end do the objects enlist techniques of representation and/or abstraction? How do the objects interact with or function in their sites of display? After posing your question, venture an answer to it in the form of a thesis statement. This should be a paragraph long in total. State your question and tell us how you arrived at it. (3%)3) A brief description of intrinsic and extrinsic aspects of the objects and their histories that you will explore in your essay. Intrinsic factors are material or formal features of the objects. Extrinsic factors are aspects of the social, political, historical, technological context surrounding the objects. This should be one paragraph long. (3%)4) A bibliography of at least 5 sources (not including Kleiner)you will consult in your research. Include all the information you can find on your sources: author, title, date and place of publication, etc. Consult a style guide for this bibliography (MLA or Chicago are preferred). A maximum of 2 of your sources may be non-academic (i.e. magazine articles or reviews; exhibition or curatorial statements; statements from artists or curators in recorded interviews or presentations). The remaining 3 sources should be academic (i.e. articles from peer-reviewed journals; books; conference proceedings or recorded academic lectures). (2%)