SURVEY OF NON-WESTERN ART..AR103MR.

MORELAND
PAPER
One of the requirements for this course is a written paper, based on your interaction with
and analysis of, artwork seen this semester in a major museum. The paper will
constitute 1/4 of your final grade. It will be evaluated in relationship to the syllabus core
learning outcome that states:
Successful students will be able to make informed critical responses to the arts
and to the human values expressed in all art forms.
This is NOT a research paper but should be based on your own individual observations
and responses to the art and the experience of being in the museum. The artworks
analyzed in the paper should come from one of the stylistic time periods covered in this
course. You may choose to write about a single artwork, compare and contrast two
artworks, or analyze and describe a special museum exhibition.
The paper should be written in your own voice and not paraphrased from some other
source. If you do provide information about the artwork or descriptions of it based on
research, please cite your sources. The paper should be a minimum of 2 and no more
than 3 pages typed. You must include an image of the artwork(s) and evidence of your
visit to the museum.
Try to be specific and articulate in your writing. Write in a way that will allow your reader
to visualize the artwork(s) you are describing. Pay particular attention to your opening
paragraph. Impress your reader with your thoughtful insight and your use of graphic and
descriptive language (avoid trite words like: great, beautiful, interesting, liked, and
loved). Arrange for someone to proofread your paper or try reading it out loud as a way
of testing your language and sentence structure. The Writing Center here at FCC
offers a variety of resources (including free one-on-one drop-in sessions) to help you
improve your writing skills. Again, make sure that you cite your sources if information
included in the paper, is obtained from research.
You may choose from one of the following field trip dates:
ONESunday, October 12.....The Walters Art Museum
TWO...Saturday, October 25...The National Mall in D.C.
Bus transportation is provided and each trip will leave from the FCC Arts Center parking
lot, promptly at 11:00 AM and arrive back at FCC around 4:30 PM. You will need to
reserve a space (available on a first come first served basis) with a $10 deposit, which
will only be returned to you if you participate by riding the bus on the day of the trip. If
you are not able to participate on these dates, you will need to make arrangements to
visit one of the museums on your own.
The National Gallery of Art and the Hirshhorn Museum on the National Mall in D.C. both
have extensive collections pertaining to the stylistic periods covered in this course. The
Baltimore Art Museum and The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore would also make good
destinations. All of these museum websites are available to you, through the external
links tab in Blackboard. Please consult with me about other possibilities.

The paper may be turned in at any time, up to the last day of class on 12/10/14.
The paper will be evaluated using the following assessment rubric developed by the
Communication, Humanities and Arts faculty:
General Education Goal VIII: Successful students will be able to make informed
critical responses to the arts and to the human values expressed in all art forms.
Use the rating scale: Outstanding Comprehension (4), Full Comprehension (3), Satisfactory
Comprehension (2), Limited Comprehension (1), or Insufficient Comprehension (0).

DESCRIBE:
The presentation and context of the
work(s) of art using the appropriate arts
vocabulary.
The elements of the work(s) of art.
INTERPRET:
The symbolism and artistic style of a
work(s) of art.
The artists intent.
EVALUATE:
The creative techniques of the work(s)
of art.
The execution of the work(s) of art.
SYNTHESIZE:
The personal impact of the work(s) of
art.
The link between the work(s) of art and
the human condition.
Rating Scale: A = 3.5 4;

Total Score: _____________

Comments:

B = 2.5 3.4,

C = 1.5 2.4;

Points/Divided by 4 = _______________

D = .5 1.4;

F = .4 0

Grade = ________________

As you develop the paper, remember the ideas discussed in the introductory lectures by
considering:
MAN and NATURE / STYLE / ICONOGRAPHY / CREATIVITY and ORIGINALITY
HISTORIC CONTEXT: time period / artist / style
MATERIALS and TECHNIQUES
COMPOSITION: the total organization (design) of the artwork
FORM: the physical nature of the artwork (painting / sculpture / architecture)
FORMAL ELEMENTS: line / value (light-dark) / color / shape (mass-volume)
texture / space
As an additional guide I have listed a few questions that may help you as you consider
the four criteria in the evaluation rubric.
DESCRIBE
What is the title? When was it made? What is the stylistic period? Who made it?
What kind (painting /sculpture / relief /etc.) of artwork is it? What is it made of?
How is it made? What are the materials and techniques? How big is it?
What are the visual/formal elements? What is the structural form or composition?
How are the various parts related to one another and the whole? Is there a focal
point?
INTERPRET
What is it about? What is the subject matter? What is the style of the work?
Does it speak to you directly about its content? What is its function? Is it realistic,
naturalistic, distorted, or abstracted in any way? Does there appear to be any
symbolic content?
EVALUATE
What is the visual effect or impact on the viewer? Does the scale/size affect your
response? What is your overall emotional response? Do you like the art? Could
you live with this art? How does the physical context of the artwork and the
surrounding environment affect you response? How does the artist control the way
you respond to the artwork? How does the craftsmanship and technical execution
of the artwork affect your response?
SYNTHESIZE
Is it like anything we have studied in class? Would you need to do some research
in order to fully understand it? What can you infer about the artist and the society
it came from? What do you think was the original intention of the artist? Do you feel
any sense of kinship with the artist? How does it make you feel? Does it evoke any
strong emotions? What larger issues of human existence seem to be communicated
through the artwork? This site would be quite helpful in understanding what is
meant by The Human Condition. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_condition