"What is Art?": Parts I & II Final Paper (due 2/13)

"What is Art?": Parts I & II Final Paper
5-7 pages typed, double spaced
1250-1750 words

You will write a final reflection which specifically addresses all of the prompts below, one-by-one. It does not need to be in Essay format-- I'd prefer specific answers to each specific question. Please organize your paper into the following sections:

Technique
Point of View
Context & Connections
Reflection
Process

You may re-use any of the writing you have already done for your blogs or the Part I Final Paper, but you must make sure that you are specifically and satisfactorily answering the writing prompts below. Please do not try to fake your way through the answers. If you know your work does not meet these standards, be honest with yourself and with me. It just means that we have more work to do to get your work to a proficient level. Let's meet that challenge!

Technique

• (Blog Post 6. See also: "Reflection" section, bullet 2) In what way does this work represent a skilled use of the software? Explain specific techniques you used in this software (like "layer masking" or "using the 'pull up' tool in SketchUp") and step-by-step ways you used these tools.
• In what way does your choice of materials for this project represent a skillful and informed artistic choice? Explain why you chose to use this medium to work in, how (and why) you selected the raw images/samples/paints, etc to include in your project.
• How does this work you've created compare with other works of this kind by other artists? Give specific examples of other works of this type (for example, other websites, songs, or paintings) and explain how your work builds on other works in this genre.
• Explain in depth the different materials, techniques, and art genres you experimented with as you were making your final piece. Put as many "snapshots" of your creative process as you can on your blog. You want to demonstrate (and give proof) that you tried a lot of different ways to do your project instead of just going with the first thing you did.
• Explain how the techniques you used add to and enhance the meaning or message you were trying to communicate. How did your technical choices (which program to use, what effects to add, what colors, images, and sounds to use) compliment the message you were trying to capture with your piece?

Point of View

• (Blog Post 5. Please revise in light of your current progress). Your work of art must communicate a clear point of view about Art and about your intended message for this piece. In what ways is your point of view evident in the work itself?
• (Blog Post 5. Please revise in light of your current progress). What is your definition of Art and non-Art? How is this definition shown in your artwork?

Context and Connections

• Specifically describe the artworks you looked at when developing your definition of Art in blogs 1-3. How does your final work compare with the pieces you looked at? With other works of art you know?
• Based on your exploration of Art, what specific characteristics does Art need to have? Explain your answers. How did you ensure that your final artwork has these characteristics?

Reflection

• Discuss the specific stages you went through as you started reading, researching, thinking about, designing, building, and revising your project. Be as specific as you possibly can.
• (Blog Post 6. See also: "Technique" section, bullet 1) Describe the specific art and technical techniques you used in "art-specific" language. So instead of saying "I took a picture from its background", say "I used layer masking, the quick selection tool, and different layers to remove a picture from its background". [blog post 6]
• (Blog Post 7. See also: "Process" section, bullet 3 ). Interview a classmate you trust. Ask them to grade your art project against the rubric and to give you warm and cool feedback. (In other words, they tell you what they think is effective and they give you ideas for how to push it forward).
• Compare your finished work next to an established, professional work of art. Give yourself warm and cool feedback as you compare what is successful and effective in both pieces. Use art-specific language.

Process

• (Here, you can use major turning points from your Part I Paper. Add more to reflect your learning since then). Describe how your definition of art grew and developed over the course of the project. How did you become aware of, challenge, and develop your ideas regarding what Art is (and can be)? Discuss major turning points in that process.
• What strategies did you use to overcome setbacks you encountered in the process?
• (Blog Post 7. See also: "Reflection" section, bullet 3 )What feedback did you get from your peers and from Ted about how to improve your piece? How did you incorporate this feedback into your revision process?