Pre-Columbian Art
Professor Jolly
Spring 2009
Research Paper
Due: April 23rd
Your research paper (6-8 pages) will build on your initial
analysis of one or two of the Pre-Columbian Art objects from the Handwerker
Gallery. Your starting point
should be your visual analysis of the content and form of the work; now it is
time to put this analysis into an art historical and cultural context. As you continue to research and ask
questions of your object, be sure to consider a range of Òways to knowÓ about
your chosen object. With most of
these works, the archeological record is going to be the most difficult to
access, and while you can make educated analogies with other works we have
studied, you will largely have to rely on other means of inquiry. For example, you might research the
form of the object in terms of its production (which helps you understand its
material history), as well as its style (which might let you understand a range
of historical influences and points of comparison with cultures of the
region). Meanwhile, you might
explore the content, or iconography, of the image in terms of comparisons with
other art objects, zoology, botany, medicine or even ethnography. Ask yourself if there are any
ethnographic analogies you might use to make sense of the object. Finally, you should take time to learn
what you can about the culture that produced the object, and consider how the
work might have functioned or held meaning in its larger cultural context.
My expectations:
- An
engaging and well-written 6-8 page paper, which combines careful visual
analysis, research, and insight into the significance of your chosen work.
- A
clearly articulated thesis (or hypothesis), which is systematically argued
and supported with both visual evidence and scholarly sources.
- Much
of your argument will be generated through visual comparisons. Thus, plan to include images of
the key artworks or illustrations to which you compare your object. If you are willing to share your
drawing/photo of the Johnson museum object, that would be
appreciated! Images can be in
black and white or color, and should include a figure # as well as a
caption with the culture (if appropriate), title, date (as available), and
image source. Please organize
your photocopies or digital printouts, either within the text or as a
batch at the end of the document, by number. When referring to works of art in your text, their
titles should be in italics; if the
images have very similar names, refer to their locations (museum names) to
help reader keep track.
- Sequentially
numbered, footnote-format citations (see the Chicago Manuel of Style) for
quotes and ideas taken from other sources. For example, a citation for a book should look like
this. A citation for an article within a
book should look like this. An article within a journal looks
like this. A second citation of a source can
be abbreviated. Note that your word processing
program likely has an ÒinsertÓ footnote function, which automatically
numbers your citations in sequence and keeps track as you move things
around. Unlike bibliography
format, you put the author first name first, use commas, put publication
date and publisher within parentheses, and only cite the specific page
from which you are getting your quote or information. Note: do not weigh your paper down
with other peopleÕs words (quotes); I prefer you paraphrase key ideas you
engage with from your sources, and put them in your own words. Still, of course, cite your source
for the supporting idea. Save
quotes for wording that you find particularly compelling, and explain to
me, in your own words, what key ideas you draw from the quote.
- At
least five scholarly sources.
Scholarly sources include books from University presses and
museums, as well as articles from academic, juried journals. Online databases like J-STOR and
ANTHROSOURCE should provide links to and citations of academic
sources. Websites are not
automatically considered scholarly sources; many are very unreliable and
misleading. So if you would
like to cite one, you should first check it with me.
- Original
work.
Art history databases are limited in their indexing of
Pre-Columbian materials, but certainly try them; see Òresearch by subjectÓ
guide on the library homepage.
The Anthropology Òresearch by subjectÓ guide will be most
helpful.