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Project Proposal

Art Crit

Discussions

1. So that students have a mental "blueprint" or rough outline of their project. Thinking and planning is very important in art. Only rare geniuses can ( occasionally ) "wing it", and create something magnificent from improvisation. The rest of us, need to plan.
2. So that I have an idea of what the student wishes to do. In case it is something too ambitious for the time limitations of our course, I can spot this and notify the student. Conversely, if the project is an inadequate challenge for a college-level student, I can point this out also, and recommend changes.

One side of the form contains a number of questions that need to be filled out. On the back side of the sheet, the student needs to draw a "thumbnail" sketch or sketches of how they visualize the final image. This certainly does not need to be at DaVinci-level quality. All that is required, is a general outline of forms and shapes, so that I can see what the idea is.

Visual artists need to think visually. If you are currently not making thumbnail sketches of ideas that are in the works, you are not making full use of your visualization resources. This is one reason to keep a sketchbook - so that the artist can write out their thoughts, doodle, and sketch out tentative images.

Certainly, I do not assume that the finished final project, will look exactly like the proposal given to me on the 3rd-4th week. Those of you that create art, know that the image changes through the very process of working on it. But the thinking, planning , and sketching creates a solid foundation on which the work can be built.

Please note that submitting this form is NOT an option - it is a required component of the final project. Five points are deducted from the final grade if it is late. If a student has still not submitted the proposal by the start of Week 5, they cannot continue with the class until it has been handed in.

Save your proposal when I've returned it to you ! If completed with enough detail and thoroughness, it can serve as the blueprint for your artist statement, which is to be submitted along with the final project.

Access the proposal form

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One of the best ways to learn about art, is to look at the art of other artists. To this end, this critique project assigns you to find a piece of art at an artshow ( gallery or museum ) that you find interesting, and then to discuss it in depth.

A list of approved galleries / museums is included, so that you can find one most convenient to you. When you go to view a show in order to choose a piece, I recommend that you pick something that you react to strongly - either very favorably, or extremely unfavorably.

It is much easier to write about something that is vivid, whether it is pleasant or unpleasant. If you choose something that is uninteresting, it will be more difficult to find anything to say about it.

I also recommend looking at other media, not just computer art. There are several reasons for this:

• If you look at a piece created in a medium that you are not familiar with, you are looking at it with a fresh eye. You may need to puzzle over how it was created, and that is a good thing.
• We have several thousand years of art to look at, from various cultures, historical periods, and many artists. Your own art becomes more interesting as you expand your horizon and absorb various visual influences.
• The field of computer art is very new, and in many ways, the work created is immature and not fully developed. Another problem with much computer-generated art is "slickness" - the software creates pieces of great technical facility, but of little depth, giving us commercial and sterile imagery that looks good, but is cliched and shallow.

  Looking at work made by hand, is a good contrast to the digitized and sanitized imagery bombarding us every day through TV commercials, movies and magazines.

You will have a form that asks a number of questions about the pieces. You can choose to fill it out, or to use this as a scratch sheet, and compose an essay about the piece.

Choose one piece from a current show of art at a local gallery, or at an art museum. Use the guidelines below to describe the piece and to help you understand the piece. The title of the piece and the name of the artist, as well as the gallery or museum where it was viewed, must be included. The spaces here, and the back of the paper, may be used for notes.

The finished critique may be submitted on a separate piece of paper, and must be typed. The length of the review should be at least one page in length.

If you choose to use this form instead, statements and opinions must be given ( except when I have given provision for Yes/No answers ) - merely answering YES or NO, results in NO CREDIT for that answer. Also, the answers must be written legibly, in ink. If I cannot decipher the writing, the assignment will be returned ungraded, and will then need to be resubmitted in a legible form.

Access the critique form.

View the list of galleries.

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We will be having periodic discussions based on the textbook, during the quarter. These will not focus at all on technical computer issues ( except to clarify how you might best achieve a certain effect, to better express your message, or meaning behind the work - what you are trying to say artistically. ) Participation is a class requirement, and includes display of the current project, whether finished or not.

In these discussions, participation is required for the grade. I realize that some people may feel very shy about public speaking. If you are one of these, you must let me know as soon as possible. An alternate way for such people to participate in discussions will be a written summary

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