COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE WORK OF 3 ARTWORKS, BY AT LEAST 2 ARTISTS, FROM DIFFERENT CULTURAL CONTEXTS.
A Comparative Study in art is not an extended essay, it does not have to even be an essay. It is an investigation that strikes a balance between written and visual content. There is no prescribed format for this task, you just need to complete 10-15 slides that look a the work of 3 artworks from 2 different cultural contexts. This could be by 2 artists, or by 3 artists. You need to acknowledge your sources and be aware that your work will be analyzed and addressed on screen.
You can compare any 3pieces of work, but I would suggest to make connections between form and meaning, think about how the artists have looked at something which is similar (or the same) in different ways and questions why.
Your teacher can discuss the choice of work, but it is important that you decide what work to look at. You can get oral or written feedback on your initial draft, but the next version you submit must be the final version.
Last words of advise..Make sure that you use this time to your benefit, what is it that you want to find out, discover, uncover.. connect to your own art making practice in order to make it a more useful process for yourself. If it is something that is entirely separate from your process and production then this is a lot of time and energy that you may not value in the long run.
Be considerate of how these assessment criteria fit together and the impact that the individual elements have on each other.
A resolved piece of artwork is when the Concept, Composition and Technique make sense together. This is the FORMAL QUALITIES - they are what we can see. They are what is "on the canvas". (It could be a video or sculpture, just a term to refer to what is on/visible in the artwork)
Outside of that is "canvas" is the artist world, and outside of that is the wider world. The way that the artist's work is influenced by their world is the CULTURAL CONTEXT. How the artist negotiates the world, and their world in their piece is the FUNCTION AND PURPOSE. This could be the concept, but will be seen in the Technique and Composition, so back to the FORMAL QUALITIES. wh
When you think you have found something that interests you, try filling in this sheet to make sure that you have enough information to complete the task.
"erm.... erm.... hahahha....erm.... a really, really, harsh interview. You need so much research and act like you understand him or her"
"Just a comparative study? You should dissect every component to compare and contrast."
"It was good to get to find out the intention of an artist, I felt like I had found a treasure during an adventure."
"A chance to geek out about artists."
The Comparative Study is not an essay.
The Comparative study is worth 20% of your grade. You are expected to examine and compare at least 3 artworks by at least 2 different artists, from at least 2 contrasting cultural contexts. Click here to download it yourself
The idea of beauty has changed and adapted so many times over history- how do we know this? Because of the way that women are presented in art changed. What is there in common? What could be compared?
Look on this Pinterest page for examples of comparisons or this, you just need to make sure that they are from different cultural contexts.
Some times we might not be interested in a big topic, but want to look at a specific piece. This is fine. I suggest that you unpick at the Subject Matter, Theme/Concept and Style and then try to make connections. This brain storm opens up lots of options for exploration.
If you are unsure of what artists to look at, or don't feel like you have enough information on them, then try searching for the key word into a website from a gallery, this will bring up all art and articles related to this idea. Have a look at the Research tab to find examples!
