You and another student will work together to lead the discussion once during the semester. In preparation, you will circulate to the entire class a list of questions that you create collaboratively with your partner. These questions must be sent via email by Wednesday at 6pm. The questions serve to stimulate conference discussion; therefore, all students are required to read them before class and prepare possible responses.
When preparing questions for the presentation, please consider the principle issues raised by the selected readings. What is the proposed thesis? How is it substantiated? Conceptually, how do the themes brought out in the text correspond to other readings we have studied? How do they correspond to the imagery we have analyzed?
Choose one of the objects from the Cooley Gallery’s selection of gifts from the Peter Norton Family Christmas Art Project. In a short response paper (5 pages in length, doubled spaced and stapled), offer an interpretation of the work using one of the theoretical models or texts that we have explored during the first eight weeks of the course. Your paper is due in class on April 1, when we will discuss these art objects as what curator Brian Wallis terms “damaged goods” together in conference. You will in turn be asked to further animate the works by presenting your own response papers to the class. Due April 1.
In preparation for this paper, please read:
Gordy Grundy. “Christmas of Cool: Peter Norton Family Christmas Art Project” Huffington Post, Arts (20 December 2010).
Norton Family Gift image gallery
To view the Norton Family gifts in Reed's collection, you can sign up to meet with Colleen Gotze, Registrar and Program Coordinator at the Douglas F. Cooley Memorial Gallery, at the times listed below. We will circulate a sign up sheet in class, but no more than 10 students can sign up for the same time slot.
Wednesday, March 9, 11:00am - 1:00pm
Wednesday, March 9, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Thursday, March 10, 10:00am- 12 noon
For your last assignment, we ask you to write a research paper (5 pages in length, double-spaced and stapled) based on an object you or your family own. This object can be anything of visual interest, from Russel Wright dishware to an Ikea bed. Be creative! We ask you to study this object using one of the methods you've examined in class. Select readings from the syllabus that will help you develop your thesis, and find two additional sources* (beyond the syllabus) from the library. Due May 6.
*See the Research Resources page for online databases in art history
Regular attendance & active participation
Presentation, to be assigned the first week of class
Response paper, due April 1
Research paper, due May 6
Please come and see us if you would like help with your paper, if you and your partner would like to discuss the readings before your scheduled presentation, or if you have any other questions.