For this assignment, you are to write 3-4 pages (double spaced, 12-point font) about an art historical topic of your choosing. The topic can be more or less anything, as long as it is germane to CTXT 122 class material (basically, global visual culture from 1400 to the present day). You may choose individual artists, stylistic periods, or even individual artworks as your topic. Additionally, you can reach beyond the purview of traditionally-defined art historical inquiry to topics like graphic design history, film history, the history of animation, or the history of video games. Of course, this list is not comprehensive, but I want to give you a feeling for how much latitude you have in choosing a topic.
Once you have selected your topic, you must find five research sources to support your arguments. Three of these sources must be “scholarly” in nature (such as a book or journal article written by a reputable expert within their field. The other two can be of any kind whatsoever, including websites, streaming videos, or newspaper and magazine articles. Another thing I like to do is look up my topic on Wikipedia, and look through the bibliography/references of the page. You can often find many great sources this way (just don’t site Wikipedia itself, go a step further).
Once you find your sources, please create a short bibliography using the Chicago or MLA citation style. You will place this bibliography at the end of your essay. Here’s a good automatic citation generator for that style that you may find useful: https://www.citationmachine.net/.
The structure of your essay should strictly adhere to the following model:
I. Introduction with thesis statement
II. Body paragraphs that support your thesis statement (depending on the size of your paper, this could by anywhere from 4-6 well-structured paragraphs)
III. Conclusion paragraph restating your thesis statement and arguing for its significance
IV. Bibliography
A thesis statement is one or two sentences that clearly state the topic of your essay and what you’re trying to argue about that topic. Make sure you include this as part of your introductory paragraph. It’s perhaps the most important part of your essay.
When you use your sources in your essay (either through direct quotation or by reference/paraphrasing), you must cite them with footnotes that are also produced in the Chicago citation style. You will be graded on the accuracy of your application of this citation style, so be sure to spend some time honing your skills with these.