Write a 1500-2000 word, double-spaced analytical essay for ONE of the following essay questions:
OPTION 1:
New skills
Given the many new artforms, artistic approaches, visual media, and objectives of art in the
twentieth century, what new creative skills do artists need to make art today? For the purpose of
this essay question, new skills are ones that artists prior to 1900 would not be expectedor
ableto use in their work, but become important for the new art practices the emerged in the
twentieth century. Your essay must identify, contextualize, and evaluate three distinct new skills
using the work of three artists discussed in the course as examples. You must also cite specific
information about twentieth century artistic, intellectual, and technological developments
presented in the reading and viewing assignments to support your argument. Think creatively
about the new artforms we have discussed throughout the course, especially conceptual
practices, performance, and work involving new visual technologies, activism, and science.
IMPORTANT TIP: Be creative, but make sure you define concrete skills. For example, the
argument I will show how being skilled with technology could be useful for artists does not
identify a specific skill. A proper argument would be: Since documentation of ephemeral
processes has become more important in twentieth century art, camera skills are crucial for
contemporary art-making.
OPTION 2:
Depth v. breadth
Is it better for an artist to be an expert at one medium or proficient with many media? Use the
work of three artists discussed in the course to argue which approach you support. Identify,
contextualize, and evaluate the artistic developments, theories, practitioners, and practices we
have examined in the course that support your choice. Your essay must also identify and evaluate
the counter arguments presented in the course material in order to demonstrate why your
approach is preferable.
OPTION 3
The virtues of difficulty
Art of the twentieth century has been, at different times, mechanical, austere, abstract, antiaesthetic,
and anti-authoritarian. In other words, it has embraced the virtues of being difficult.
Identify artworks by three different artists discussed in the course that are considered difficult or
challenging. Analyze the difficult nature of each work and explain why the difficulty is in fact a
positive attribute. You must contextualize your argument by discussing the artistic and theoretical
rationale behind the works, citing specific information presented in the course materials. Keep in
mind that difficulty can pertain to a works visual inaccessibility, its complexity, its newness, or its
challenge to social norms.
IMPORTANT TIP: Difficulty, for the purpose of this essay question, is not what you personally find
difficult, but what has been presented in the course material as being difficult or challenging.

arts
Textbook: Launching the Imagination: A Comprehensive Guide to Basic Design 5th Edition

Problem: You have two reading assignments this semester from the textbook. You must write one typed response essay per reading assignment. Each essay needs to start with an introductory paragraph that includes the name of the chapter, title of the book and author’s name. The introductory paragraph should describe your response to the reading by laying out 5- 6 selected subheadings from the text that you will be using as points of support for your response. Each selected subheading will correspond to one of your body paragraphs, in which you will explain your point further and support it with a direct quote form the text. Your response cannot be just a summary of the reading. A response builds a dialogue between your self as the reader, and the text. Ask yourself questions like: How does this reading relate to your experiences so far? What parts of the reading resonate with you and why? Can you compare or contrast the purpose of this reading to other readings or experiences? Have you seen the purpose of this reading put to practical use and if so, what was the outcome? Your concluding paragraph should summarize your response to the reading. The majority of each of your essays should be your informed response to the content of each reading not just a report on what the reading said. Again, each paragraph should contain at least one example from the text. That means, in total, your essay must have at least 5-8 examples from the text.

Format: Each essay must be a minimum 3-5 pages, double-spaced, 12 point font, 1” margin left, right and bottom, .5” margin on top.

Objective: The primary objective of these readings is for each of you to be aware of a larger canon of creative thought in many disciplines. The readings and responses will also address two of the course goals:
1. cultivating a comprehensive level of visual literacy
2. exposure to contemporary issues and disciplines in the visual arts, which includes 2D, 3D and 4D art forms.

Suggested Reading Strategy:
1. Skim through the assigned reading. Read first and last sentence of each paragraph to get the “gist”
2. Re-Read with a high-lighter or pen for a close reading, marking down questions and interesting passages as you go
3. Third time through the reading answer those questions and use your notes to begin your response outline

Response 1 – Two Dimensional Design | Chapters 1-4 | pages 3 -103
Response 2 – Concepts and Critical Thinking | Chapters 5-8 | Pages 105 -177

Deadline:
Responses should be typed, printed and submitted at the start of class on the day it is due.
In addition, a digital copy must be submitted to your TA by 11pm that same night.

Due Dates:
September 28 for response essay 1
November 9 for response essay 2
Evaluation Rubric

Format: Each response must be a minimum 3-5 pages double-spaced, 12 point font, 1” margins left, right and bottom, .5” margin on top.
Excellent Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor

Essay structure: Must include 1 introductory paragraph, 5-6 body paragraphs and 1 conclusion paragraph.
Excellent Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor

Grammar: Appropriate college level grammar, spelling, punctuation and citation
Excellent Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor

Use of Subheadings: Your response should address at least 5 subheadings clearly identified in the text. Each paragraph should relate to one of the subheadings.
Excellent Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor

Use of Examples from the text:
You must site at least 5-8 examples from the reading to support your responses.(At least one example per body paragraph.) The subject of each body paragraph should be one of your selected subheadings.
Excellent Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor

Evidence of comprehension and consideration of the material:
The majority of each of your responses should be just that; your informed response to the content of each reading not just a report.
Excellent Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor

arts
Textbook: Launching the Imagination: A Comprehensive Guide to Basic Design 5th Edition

Problem: You have two reading assignments this semester from the textbook. You must write one typed response essay per reading assignment. Each essay needs to start with an introductory paragraph that includes the name of the chapter, title of the book and author’s name. The introductory paragraph should describe your response to the reading by laying out 5- 6 selected subheadings from the text that you will be using as points of support for your response. Each selected subheading will correspond to one of your body paragraphs, in which you will explain your point further and support it with a direct quote form the text. Your response cannot be just a summary of the reading. A response builds a dialogue between your self as the reader, and the text. Ask yourself questions like: How does this reading relate to your experiences so far? What parts of the reading resonate with you and why? Can you compare or contrast the purpose of this reading to other readings or experiences? Have you seen the purpose of this reading put to practical use and if so, what was the outcome? Your concluding paragraph should summarize your response to the reading. The majority of each of your essays should be your informed response to the content of each reading not just a report on what the reading said. Again, each paragraph should contain at least one example from the text. That means, in total, your essay must have at least 5-8 examples from the text.

Format: Each essay must be a minimum 3-5 pages, double-spaced, 12 point font, 1” margin left, right and bottom, .5” margin on top.

Objective: The primary objective of these readings is for each of you to be aware of a larger canon of creative thought in many disciplines. The readings and responses will also address two of the course goals:
1. cultivating a comprehensive level of visual literacy
2. exposure to contemporary issues and disciplines in the visual arts, which includes 2D, 3D and 4D art forms.

Suggested Reading Strategy:
1. Skim through the assigned reading. Read first and last sentence of each paragraph to get the “gist”
2. Re-Read with a high-lighter or pen for a close reading, marking down questions and interesting passages as you go
3. Third time through the reading answer those questions and use your notes to begin your response outline

Response 1 – Two Dimensional Design | Chapters 1-4 | pages 3 -103
Response 2 – Concepts and Critical Thinking | Chapters 5-8 | Pages 105 -177

Deadline:
Responses should be typed, printed and submitted at the start of class on the day it is due.
In addition, a digital copy must be submitted to your TA by 11pm that same night.

Due Dates:
September 28 for response essay 1
November 9 for response essay 2
Evaluation Rubric

Format: Each response must be a minimum 3-5 pages double-spaced, 12 point font, 1” margins left, right and bottom, .5” margin on top.
Excellent Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor

Essay structure: Must include 1 introductory paragraph, 5-6 body paragraphs and 1 conclusion paragraph.
Excellent Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor

Grammar: Appropriate college level grammar, spelling, punctuation and citation
Excellent Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor

Use of Subheadings: Your response should address at least 5 subheadings clearly identified in the text. Each paragraph should relate to one of the subheadings.
Excellent Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor

Use of Examples from the text:
You must site at least 5-8 examples from the reading to support your responses.(At least one example per body paragraph.) The subject of each body paragraph should be one of your selected subheadings.
Excellent Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor

Evidence of comprehension and consideration of the material:
The majority of each of your responses should be just that; your informed response to the content of each reading not just a report.
Excellent Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor