ARTH 3010: Visual Analysis, due October 30th, 11:59 pm, via CourseLink, 25%
Students will write a minimum 1500 word maximum 1700 word paper (excluding bibliography
and footnotes) focused on one artwork taken from one of the sources provided below. If you
would like to propose an alternate work of art, it must be confirmed with the instructor in writing
via email before October 25th. You do not need to confirm your paper topic if it is from the list or
sources provided.
Your paper is to be a focused analysis of one work, it may be compared to other works by the
same artist or include comparisons to other artists’ work but you should address the aesthetic
and theoretical issues of this one work in detail. As this is a research paper with the aim to
develop research skills such as critical thinking and assessment of articles and debates
students are expected to consult a minimum of three scholarly articles (can be found in
exhibition catalogues, books, or journals) and the paper must include citations and a
bibliography.
Papers are due October 30th, 11:59 pm. Late papers will be deducted 5% per day for up to 5
days.
Illustrations
Illustrations of the main work under discussion and any comparisons must be included. These
should be titled (artist, title, date and source of image).
What to Consider
Your goal is to write an organized, compelling argument primarily focussed on one work. You will
need to have a thesis to give your paper direction. This is NOT meant to be a biographical paper
on the artist (you do not need to include birth, training, etc., unless it is directly relevant to the
artwork under discussion). When you are organizing your paper and research you will want to
consider the following:
1. Is the work part of a larger movement in contemporary art, if so how is this expressed in the
work (i.e. Feminist Art, identity politics, activism).
2. What are the main aesthetic/visual qualities of the work? Be detailed in your assessment.
3. What are the materials and scale of the work?
4. What are the main themes or ideas associated with the work and how are these represented
visually or otherwise in the work?
5. Does the artwork engage with the viewer? How so?
6. How is meaning created within the work?
7. What are the artist’s intentions, motivations or inspirations in relationship to this work?
8. How is this work typically encountered (gallery/museum, online, performance, etc) and how
does this affect the meaning or understanding of the work.
9. What is the critical reception for this work? What do viewers and critics (exhibition reviews)
think of it.
10.Are there any theoretical ideas put forward through the work or that are discussed in the
critical reception of the work?
11. Is the artwork related to other pieces by the same artist or by different artists? How so?
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ARTH 3010: Visual Analysis, due October 30th, 11:59 pm, via CourseLink, 25%
Format
Essays are to be typed in 12 font, double-spaced with page numbers, footnotes/endnotes and
illustrations as necessary. Your name, course name, instructor name and date and title should
appear on the first page of your essay. The paper is to be minimum 1500 words in length before
bibliography and illustrations. Please be aware that .pdf and .doc files need to be used for your
assignment.
1. You must use citations in Chicago Manual Style, MLA or APA format. Footnotes are always
sequential even if referencing the same source.
2. You must have a separate works cited or bibliography page.
3. You must use a minimum of three scholarly journal articles for this paper may be found in
books, exhibition catalogues, or journals.
4. Illustrations must be referenced in the text as (Fig. 1). For example: The gallery installation
of Mary Kelly’s Post-Partum Document completes the narrative construction of the entire
work (Fig. 1).
5. Figures/illustrations should be included behind essay, before bibliography.
6. Each illustration should include a caption with Figure #, Artist’s name, title of work, date.
7. In your text the dates of works should be given in brackets after the work.
8. Titles of works to be italicized or underlined.
9. Titles of exhibitions should be in double quotation marks.
10. All punctuation should be inside quotation marks when used. For example: If, as the artist
indicates, “the work operates within the system of the Lacanian mirror stage,” then the
mirrored backdrop reinforces this experience for the viewer.
For example: The bold use of Christian symbolism in combination with references to popular
culture underscores what art critic Barbara Rose has named as “the religious mundane or
popular icon.”1
11. Avoid using contractions (don’t, can’t, it’s) and colloquialisms or casual speech.
12. Quotations should be indicated with quotation marks and embedded or introduced within
your own writing. All secondary sources must be cited.
13. Longer quotations should be indented and without quotation marks. Include citation.
14. Paragraphs generally need a minimum of three sentences.
How to Choose a Work:
1. Students can visit the SOFAM Print Collection and search under the tag “Canadian” to locate
a work to write about. Be sure to pay attention to the date of the work you choose. It should fall
between 1960-present. Students can visit the print collection to see the work in person.
https://sofamprintstudy.lib.uoguelph.ca/items/browse?tags=Canadian
2. Students can choose any work on display at the Art Gallery of Guelph that is by a Canadian
artist and is dated from 1960-present and not covered in class. Do not choose a work from an
exhibition you have already written about.
Author, Source (Place: Publisher, Date) page number. (For Book) 1
Author, “Article.” Journal Name Volume/Number (Month/Season Year): page number. (For Article)
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ARTH 3010: Visual Analysis, due October 30th, 11:59 pm, via CourseLink, 25%
3. Students can choose a work by a Canadian artist not covered in our course. A separate list is
provided of potential artists.
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ARTH 3010: Visual Analysis, due October 30th, 11:59 pm, via CourseLink, 25%
Please remember:
I do not accept emailed assignments. Late papers will be deducted 5% per day each day after
due date.
Citation Information: You can access citation information online from the library website. See:
https://guides.lib.uoguelph.ca/CiteYourSources
Marking Rubric
I Strength, clarity and originality of thesis statement (point of view, argument)–clearly
stated, logically argued, developed throughout paper and summed up in conclusion.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 /10
II Strength and clarity of research, observations, comparative information. Context
provided for artwork.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 / 10
III Strength of visual analysis/interpretation. How the visual/audio elements make meaning.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 /10
IV Discussion of the ideas, theory, critical discourse, and reception of the work clearly
researched, understood and articulated.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 /10
V Organization and legibility of essay–including paragraph and sentence structure,
spelling, grammar and citation format (minimum 3 sources).
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 /10
(total out of 50 points) /25%
Turnitin.com
As it is the responsibility of the instructor to track and report plagiarism, we will be utilizing
turnitin.com. This is an anti-plagiarism tool that screens all assignments against a database of
the internet, e-journals, e-books, and a range of other scanned material including other
assignments for this course and previously written student papers. This ensures that all
assignments are graded on a level playing field and means the papers can be read for ideas
and content rather than policed for plagiarism. Your paper is automatically submitted to
turnitin.com when you upload it to Assignments in CourseLink.
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ARTH 3010 List of Artists for Visual Analysis
Aganetha Dyck (sculpture)
Shayne Dark (sculpture)
Suzy Lake (performance/conceptual)
Micah Lexier (conceptual)
Richard Fung (new media, video)
Evan Penny (portraiture)
Shary Boyle (ceramics)
Robert Boyer (painting)
Donigan Cumming (film, video)
David Altmejd (sculpture)
Tony Sherman (sculpture)
Nadia Myre (bead, sculpture)
Wanda Koop (painting)
Brendan Fernandes (installation, video)
Isabelle Hayeur (photography)
Kit Lang (mixed media)
Marcel Dzama (print)
Sara Angelucci (painting, photography)
Kim Adams (sculpture, mused media)
Julia Dault (painting)
Jess Dobkin (performance)
Hannah Doerksen (installation)
Erin Gee (installation)
Nyla Innuksuk (film, virtual reality)
Zacharias Kunuk (film)
Syrus Marcus Ware (performance)
See entries in the Canadian Art database:
http://ccca.concordia.ca/artists/index.html?languagePref=en&
