The FINAL paper details

ART HISTORY
The Research Paper
DUE: Monday Nov. 29th 50 points
Late papers -25 points

In your paper, you will be revealing the history of your chosen artist and discussing ONE particular work of theirs in depth.

PHASE 1: First pick your artist, and then select the work of theirs on which you intend to focus. The third thing you will need to do is decide who your artist would write to for advice. This can be a relative of the artist, a friend, a fellow artist who was a contemporary of your artist, or even a non-artist public figure of their time period (such as the Pope or the King or Dennis Hopper).
You must have a logical reason for who you are choosing (…such as: Dennis Hopper acted in many of Andy Warhol’s films and was/is an avid art collector). The person you are choosing to write to may not be evident until after you have done some research.

PHASE 2: Compile your research on the artist.
Research the artist’s early life. Why did they got into art? Where did they live and work? How did they encounter fame and fortune (if at all) ? What did they contribute that was different/new/exciting? Were there any challenges in their life that affected their art? Was their personal life relevant to their work? Did they have any mentors or enemies? What was the place like where they made their art (the politics, the region, the society) and how did it affect their artistic choices? Were there any setbacks in their career? Were there any notable awards or successes in their career?
Then research the specific artwork you have chosen.
Why is it significant? What is it about? Describe the style. Talk about the composition, colors, medium, subject matter, and intent. Is it part of any ‘movement’? How does it fit in with the rest of this artist’s work? When, in the timeline of the artist’s life, was this created? Who was this piece done for? Go ahead and inject any personal opinions that you think the artist may have had about this work.

PHASE 3: You will be composing this 5 page paper (typed, double spaced, 12 point font) as if YOU are your chosen artist who is writing a letter to someone. You will inform the person about ‘your’ history and then proceed to tell them about the specific work. Your entire point is to ask for this person’s advice on the work you are doing… You will end with a direct question to this person about some aspect of ‘your’ piece.
Include a print-out of the work you are discussing (for extra credit, also include a sketch of the section of the work you are soliciting advice about).

It is not necessary to cite your sources- It is necessary to write in common speech and only use words you fully understand. Inability to define any words used in your paper will lead to a ten point penalty for each word in question.