Anatomy of a DCAD Research Paper

 Below are real-world examples of an essay's paragraphs: an introduction, a body paragraph, a concluding paragraph, and a Works Cited page.

INTRO

BODY or SUPPORT

CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH

WORKS CITED PAGE

Quick Example of a Minimalist Poster

 

Above is an example of the poster assignment. I put this together in about 5 minutes. It's not great (I know), but it gets the job done. 

Canonized by the USPS: Your favorite artist to hate...

 

I don't think the film has generated much response from critics, artists, comics creators, and gallerists. Two weeks ago, everybody was writing about it. Today, crickets. 

Except, that is, for the United States Postal Service which has released a new set of stamps in recognition of his 100th birthday. The biography is considerably more nuanced than the film offers. Check it out here.

MLA Style: Examples from real undergraduates

 

Here are some award-winning student essays that use MLA style impeccably. Check out how they work. Emulate.  

AI art is kind of miserable, at least in April of 2023

 I asked the AI bot Dalle-2 to "make a painting of art college students," and this was its output. Not great.  

Yes, AI will get better, but it will never get human and that, perhaps, is what we crave about genuine art and human creativity. What do you think of the "paintings" above? Not terribly impressive, right? According to DALL-E, all art students are white and are easel painters. This is highly problematic on a number of levels. 

MLA Style: Use the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)

 

Purdue University, in my home state of Indiana, has compiled a website that is the undisputed leader in online writing advice, the OWL. Here is the link to their MLA Formatting Guide.

Your final paper will incorporate at least three legitimate sources, and these sources will be listed in the proper MLA format on a separate page at the end of your essay. 

Spend some time on the OWL. Be patient. Let me know if you have questions: csmith@dcad.edu.

Essay Structure: The Basics

The following structure will work for any kind of academic or argumentative essay. It doesn't matter if it's 2 pages, 20 pages, or 200 pages. You just need to remember the acronym: IPSO.

ISSUE: What precisely are you writing about?

POSITION: This is sometimes called the "claim" or thesis statement. This does not have to appear as the final sentence of the opening paragraph, but it often finds a comfortable home there. Could an intelligent person disagree with your position? If the answer is yes, you're on the right track. If the answer is no, your position is probably too obvious. 

SUPPORT: This is your evidence. It's sometimes called the "body" of the paper. Evidence does not just come from outside sources, it includes your independent reasoning and experiences. 

OUTCOME: What is the way forward? Why does it matter? 

The process is linear. Start at the top. Write one paragraph (it's sometimes called the "hook) that introduces the issue in an appealing and smart way. Your second paragraph should include a concise statement of your position on the issue. These two paragraphs are often referred to as the "introduction." 

The "support" paragraphs are often referred to as the "body" of the essay. This is where you'll bring in your secondary sources. Use signal phrases to introduce your scholarly research. Try to embed your quotations in the middle part of the paragraph. Don't end a paragraph with someone else's words. You're driving this bus. 

The final paragraph or two will represent your Conclusion. Why does it matter? So what? What's at stake? 

Minimalist Poster and Minimalist Presentation

 One feature of academic conferences, especially in the sciences and social sciences, is the "Poster Session." Here are some examples from undergraduates at the University of Texas. Ours won't look anything like these text-heavy posters. 

Your PDF poster will be a much simpler affair:

1. Title: (optional)

2. One Image: You can make your own or you can use someone else's as long as it's credited in a caption line. 

3. One verbatim (word-for-word) quotation from another scholar that sums up your position on your chosen topic: Appropriation in Art, Censorship, or Artificial Intelligence. Remember to cite your quotation in MLA style at the foot of your poster. The quotation should be fewer than 50 words. 

That's it. Combine the image and the quotation in a compelling and artful way. Remember all that you've learned in FN year. You can think of your poster as a single slide in a Powerpoint type of presentation. 

Do not include your name, date, or other "standard" features of typical academic submissions. 

Due: Monday, May 1 (section 2); Tuesday, May 2 (sections 1, 3, and 4).

Each student will briefly "present" their poster on the day they're due. This will only take a minute or two per student. 

Upload to Populi (5 points)

Questions: csmith@dcad.edu

Final Research Paper: Directions and Details

 

Andy Warhol at the Supreme Court

 

Who Decides?

"Appropriation" is not a new thing. 

Straight from the US Copyright Office

 

Search the index for Fair Use cases in Visual Arts.

Guide to Fair Use in the Visual Arts

 

This document directly addresses the issues and controversies of the Fair Use Doctrine in American Copyright law when it comes to visual art. 

Read the whole thing for class on Wednesday (section 2) or Thursday (all other sections). 

Also read the actual wording of the law. 

Quiz likely. 

Final Paper: Artistic Freedom, Censorship, Fair Use

Your final paper of the semester will make an argument about a particular and specific debate in contemporary art culture. Should artists be free to make, exhibit, and publish anything they want? Are there limits? Where? Why? 

In your 5-7 double-spaced essay (MLA format), you will make your case supported by secondary sources. This essay will be due precisely one hour before our final class meeting of the semester: May 3 for the M/W section, and May 4 for the T/R sections. 

Let's get started with a case in the news today:

Roy Lichtenstein. 

Here's a link to David Barsalou's "Deconstructing Lichtenstein" scholarship. A good scholar is very much like a detective. (Click on the side arrows to see more examples).

What is Ekphrasis?

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grKWgJLXpgE&ab_channel=KatonahMuseumofArt

Directions and Details for The Delaware Contemporary Project

 This is fairly simple if you follow directions. If you're confused or need clarification at any point, just let me know. 

Each student will produce a three-page PDF document. Name your file: [initial of first name_last name.delaware contemporary.pdf]

Example:  c_smith.delaware contemporary. pdf

FIRST PAGE

1) Your name and date in the upper left corner.

2) Decent (Hi-Res if possible) image of the work you selected from the exhibition.

3) Caption information for this work (see label)

SECOND PAGE

1) Hi-Res image of your new visual/art work.

2) Caption information for your work. Give it a title and be sure to record the dimensions and media. 

3) Write between 3 and 10 keywords that connect your visual and literary work with the exhibited work you chose. Don't overthink this.

 

THIRD PAGE

Your literary text goes on this page. Single-space it.  If you need a second page, go for it. Proofread.

OPTIONAL (at the end of your document)

You are free to write a short note to the curators and staff at TDC. Maybe your work needs a little bit of context.

DUE: Tuesday, April 18, no later than 5:00 pm. Upload to Populi.  

New Project: Collaboration with the Delaware Contemporary

Hello, Writing for the Arts Students!

This blog post contains all of the necessary information for you to successfully complete this assignment. Please read the directions carefully.  Also, remember that you can always ask me questions in person or  via email at csmith@dcad.edu. 

Directions: Each student will choose one work of art currently on display at the Delaware Contemporary. It might be a work that you really love, or it might be a work that is just plain curious. Take photos of this work, get into the details. Also take a photo of the wall-text (label) that identifies the artist, the title of the work, the media used, size, etc. You can also sketch the work. Capture it, so you aren't reliant on your imagination. Now that you have chosen this single work, the fun begins. 

Part One: Each student will create an original piece of art in any media. Your art should respond to your chosen piece. Please note, you aren't copying this work; you'll be creating a new artwork that engages with the ideas, thoughts, moods, and/or emotions that you see/feel in your chosen work that is currently exhibited at the Delaware Contemporary.  For instance, you might make a short video in response to a painting or sculpture. Or you might make a painting or sculpture. The important thing to remember is that you have creative freedom. Your artwork might be digital, traditional, or a blend of the two. Take a high-res photo of your artwork. Make sure you include "caption information": What's the title of your piece? What media or materials did you use? You will be uploading this file to Populi. 

Part Two: Write a literary or verbal text that also engages with the ideas you see in your chosen work. Maybe you want to write a poem, maybe a short memory about a special experience, maybe a short fable or parable, maybe a list, maybe something else entirely. This text should be no longer than 300 words and no shorter than 100 words. Proofread it carefully before uploading it to Populi.

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Each part will be graded: 10 points each.

Due: Tuesday, April 18, 5:00 pm. 

This is a firm deadline.

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Here's where the "real-world" part of this exercise comes into play. Every first-year student enrolled in "Writing for the Arts" is entering a competition that will be juried by curators and staff at the Delaware Contemporary. They, and they alone, will choose the projects that best exemplify artistic and literary excellence. The chosen student artists will be invited to present their work at the Delaware Contemporary on the evening of Friday, May 5, the final day of the semester.