19th century photo history

You will be expected to independently select two photographs not discussed in this course. You will have to make a contextual connection between the two works. Choose two works focussing on the same subject. For example, you can choose the representation of the female body, cityscape, landscape, still-life, nature. How are they different in style? How is the representation of the female body different in the two examples? What does one tell us about a landscape that the other contradicts? Why?

In choosing your two works of art make sure to focus on a subject that is central to your current interest in your practice

The Final Paper must be structured in the following way:

1) Introduction

2) Part one: formal analysis

3) Part two: contextual analysis

Part 1: Systematically and exhaustively analyze your chosen works of art considering the following (4 pages):

Composition

Colors

Lines

Perspective/Flatness

Technique

Materiality

Part 2: Compare the two works you have chosen from a contextual perspective (4 pages):

What do these works say about the subject they represent?

How do they say what they say in different ways?

Do they complement each other?

Does one add to what the other says?

ESSAY STRUCTURE

First of all, take some time to think about a subject that interests you and that you want to know more about. Then choose two works not discussed in this course. It is important that the two photographs share something. Ideally, they should share the same topic and look very different or be from different movements but share some similarities. Be smart in your choice–this carries more points! Think about your selection carefully, so that the comparison is interesting! The overall length of this assignment is 8 pages excluding the bibliography, your name and title, and images. Please write the paper first and then add the images to make sure you don’t get the total page number mixed up. Marks are detracted if you submit a paper shorter than 8 or exceeding 10 pages. The essay must be spaced at 1.5pt, the font must 12pts, ‘Arial’.

INTRODUCTION

The introduction should not take more than one page. Keep bio info to a minimum, 4 lines for both artists, and focus on explaining why you have chosen these works of art–what do they share, how are they similar?

MAIN BODY

This is where you have to showcase your analytical skills–overall length 3/4 pages. This is your analysis. Make it interesting and relevant. You have two options:

1) Analyze all the points listed above one by one in one work of art and then separately do the same for the other.

2) Use each point to analyze both works of art at the same time: ex: analyze the composition in both, then move on to colors in both and so on. This is more difficult than option 1 and will carry more points.

3) Contextual analysis

CONCLUSION

Wrap up your essay with some smart considerations about the two photographs you have analyzed. Which is the one you find more interesting and why? How do the formal quality of the artwork impact or convey meaning? The overall length of the conclusion should not be more than 1page.

Your essay must comply with generic academic prescriptions such as footnoting, referencing, and bibliography. You should not use more than 2 Internet sources and should include at least a minimum of 5 different sources. Images must be included and labeled accordingly, specifying the artist’s name, the title of work, materials, and year of execution. The bibliography must be alphabetically ordered by surname. You are expected to use referencing correctly. Every time you read information somewhere in order to write your work it is important to reference the source–otherwise, you’ll be committing plagiarism.