city as text

city as text

ENG 102 COMPOSITION & RESEARCH
UNIT II. INFORMATIVE RESEARCH PAPER. CITY AS TEXT
A minimum of 4-5 pages with a minimum of 2 academic sources
Purpose of the assignment.
Essay 2. Informative Research Paper entitled “City as Text”. For this assignment you will select two artifacts and analyze them. You can select two pieces of art, graffiti, murals, furniture, clothes, architecture, or other cultural artifacts. There should be some basis of comparison; for example, one still life painting might be modern and the other older; one church might be a traditional Catholic church and the other a Catholic church built for a more contemporary congregation. The artifacts should be local so that you can visit them and gather relevant primary research. To aid this, the college provides City as Text trips to a variety of local cultural institutions. Alternatively, you may find your own inspiration. The assignment requires you to analyze each piece (subject and classificatory analysis), examine similarities or differences (comparison-contrast), and offer 2-3 explanations which might account for these differences or similarities (cause-effect). The analysis is informative, but the thesis should be persuasive and express an original insight based upon the classificatory, comparative and causal analyses of the two artifacts.

Format

You will develop a formal Harvard outline (See page 442). Each entry should contain complete declarative sentences. The blueprint should indicate the two artifacts, articulate their differences/similarities, and what might account for those differences/similarities. For example,” Although xxx and yyy were painted 100 years apart, there are strong similarities between them primarily due to A and B.” The thesis should express an insight supported by the analyses. For example, “Based on the similarities of xxx and yyy, it appears that… C.” The following is a possible way you might organize the components to be included in the City as Text outline. The outline should be adapted to reflect the two artifacts you are comparing.

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Based on your outline, you will also develop and deliver a 5-7 minute professional PowerPoint presentation which presents your analysis. Your slides should reflect all components of the outline.

Be sure to edit and proofread your final draft.
Introduction
A. Motivator
B. Blueprint identifying both of the subjects you are analyzing, indicate whether you are concentrating on differences (contrast) or similarities (comparison), and offer an explanation (cause & effect) for those differences or similarities.
C. Thesis expressing an opinion insight based on the analyses performed.
II. Statement about the first subject as exemplifying the genre (classification)
A. Subject title, artist/architect, date
1. Relevant Biographical Data (date of birth, death, etc.)
2. Major works
B. Name of classification (style, period, brand or movement)
1. Philosophy of style/period/brand/genre
2. Central three or more characteristics of style
3. Main names associated with style
C. History and Purpose of subject (Adapt to the needs of your subject as this will obviously depend on what is being analyzed)
1. This could mean identifying who funded a building, who occupied/s all or part of the building, and how it was adapted to meet the needs of users
2. This could mean identifying who funded a painting/mural or photograph, for whom the painting was painted or photograph was taken and where the photograph or painting is located now
3. This could mean identifying who uses an artifact, how the artifact is used and how it was adapted to meet needs of users
D. Physical description of subject (Adapt to subject)
1. Predominant colors
2. Materials used
3. Subject matter
4. Model
5. Theme
See p. 233-235 for artifact/murals/photography/graffiti, p. 233-235 & p. 238 for painting and p. 234-248 for ad copy. See supplemental resources for architecture.

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II. Statement about the second subject as exemplifying the genre (classification)
A. Subject title, artist/architect, date
1. Relevant Biographical Data (date of birth, death, etc.)
2. Major works
B. Name of classification (style and movement)
1. Philosophy of style/genre
2. Central characteristics of style
3. Main names associated with style
C. Purpose of subject (Adapt to subject)
1. This could mean identifying who funded a building, who occupied/s all or part of the building, and how it was adapted to meet the needs of users
2. This could mean identifying who funded a painting/mural or photograph, for whom the painting was painted or photograph was taken and where the photograph or painting is located now
3. This could mean identifying who uses an artifact, how the artifact is used and how it was adapted to meet needs of users
D. Physical description of subject (Adapt to subject)
1. Predominant colors
2. Materials used
3. Subject matter
4. Model
5. Theme
See p. 233-235 for artifact/murals/photography/graffiti, p. 233-235 & p. 238 for painting and p. 234-248 for ad copy. See supplemental resources for architecture.
III. Statement noting points of comparison and contrast. These points should be parallel and significant. For example, don’t say that one museum has red walls, and another has brick walls. It is better to note areas worthy of explanation.
A. First point of similarity/difference
1. First subject
2. Second subject
B. Second point of similarity/difference
1. First subject
2. Second subject
C. Third point of similarity/difference
1. First subject
2. Second subject

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IV. Provide reasons to explain the similarities/differences (causal relations). In the first two sections you described each subject in detail. In section three you examined how they were different/similar. In this section you will use your critical judgment to determine why they are different. You should be looking at several abstract forces to explain the causes (e.g. geographical, historical, aesthetic, socio-economic, religious, cultural, social, political and technological).
A. First reason to account for the differences
1. Explain how this force applied to the first artifact
2. Explain how this force applied to the second artifact
B. Second reason to account for differences
1. Explain how this force applied to the first artifact
2. Explain how this force applied to the second artifact
Conclusion
A. Reworded thesis
B. Clincher

This is NOT an art project; rather, this is an analytical assignment which uses visual texts to practice the skills of classification, comparison/contrast and causation.