COMPARATIVE STUDY CHECKLIST

_____ At Least 2 Artists _____ At least 3 Artworks _____ At Least 2 Cultural Origins

Formal Analysis
REQUIREMENT ART 1 ART 2 ART 3
Elements of art and principles of design
Materials, techniques and processes
Reliable and effective sources

Function and Purpose

REQUIREMENT ART 1 ART 2 ART 3
Context of the creation of artwork
The artist intention and the artworks purpose
Significant signs, symbols, motifs
Reliable and effective sources

Cultural Significance
REQUIREMENT ART 1 ART 2 ART 3
Social, political and historical significance of the artwork
Original and contemporary audiences
Importance of materials and concepts in the artwork
Reliable and effective sources

Comparisons and Connections

REQUIREMENT ART 1 ART 2 ART 3
Critical analysis of connections, similarities and differences between
the selected artworks
Connections are logical and coherent
Thorough understanding of how the artworks compare
Reliable and effective sources
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
Visual Arts in Context
_____ What are the social, historical, political and intellectual contexts of each of the works
explored?
_____ How do the artworks reflect aspects of the world in which they were created?
_____ What experiences of the world does the audience bring to their interpretation and
appreciation of the artworks?
_____ Which critical methodologies are most appropriate to analyze, interpret and evaluate
artworks?
_____ How has exploring these contexts influenced the students’ own art-making?

Visual Arts Methods

_____ What media, processes and techniques have been used in each of the artworks?
_____ What aspects of the processes and techniques are conventional or innovative?
_____ How have formal qualities, such as the elements and principals of design, been used and
to what effect (or affect)?
_____ What motifs, signs and symbols have been used in the works and what do these
communicate to the audience?
_____ How are the artworks evaluated?
_____ How have the artists’ methodologies influenced the students’ own art-making?

Communicating Visual Arts

_____ What methods of organization and presentation most effectively communicate
knowledge and understanding?
_____ How can visual organizers and graphics be used to convey information more effectively
than words alone?
_____ Who is the audience for the comparative study? What prior understandings can be
assumed?