Assignment: Position Paper:
Length: 3 pages.
The ideal position paper will combine:
I. a concise summary of the thesis and other salient major points the author makes in her or his essay;
II. your own critical reaction to these points and the way the author weaves them together into an argument or into an exhibition catalogue.
You will need to cite any specific works of art, texts, or other kinds of evidence that the author uses to make her or his points, as that is the basis of the claims that an author makes in presenting an argument. If the author does not present evidence, you need to note this fact and draw some conclusions from it. While you can quote your author, too many or lengthy quotations must be avoided. This paper is about your voice, and your ideas!
The point of this written assignment is that you process and think through the points the author is making; a position paper presents your critical thinking on a particular essay and not extensive quotations from the author, or from a secondary source.
1) Whenever possible, please use your own words for this assignment. Avoid verbatim or mechanical listing of quotations unless a specific quotation is especially useful.
2) Be sure to address the following:
3) What are the author's argument and main points? What is the author trying to say about a particular subject? How does the author support his/her argument? What kind of evidence does he or she use - visual/stylistic analysis, textual/archival research, artist's interviews, research from other published sources (historical, biographical etc)?
4) Is the author's argument convincing to you? Why? How does the author develop ideas to convince you?
5) Why do you think the author wrote the article? What can you deduce about the author of the article in terms of his/her background and training, methods, and philosophical approach to the subject of study?
6) Who is the intended audience for the article-art historians, critics, art collectors, museum specialists, students, or the general public? What leads you to deduce this?
7) As you read each article, compare it with other relevant readings and themes from class. How does it relate to other critical issues/themes/discussions from class?
8) Which ideas challenge your thinking? What did you get out of the article? Did a particular aspect of the reading capture your attention? Why? In other words, does it relate to your life and social practices or contrast with it? Or, does it do both?
9) If an article was difficult to follow, indicate why. What element was confusing or difficult? Was the argument abstract or was there too much specialized language or jargon, for instance?
Article: The Important and Sometimes Embarrassing Links between Occultism and the Development of Abstract Art, CA. 1909-13 by Kenneth E. Silver.
Format your assignment according to the give formatting requirements:
a. The answer must be double spaced, typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
b. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the course title, the student's name, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
c. Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.