5
Questions for Thought

The review, or "argument by evaluation"—is everywhere: it appears as critiques of consumer products, as instructor comments on student papers, as debates about the latest big budget movie. For this project you'll gain some expertise with a specific subcategory of this genre: the art review. You'll pick a type of art that interests you—film, music, novels, painting, dance, etc.—then research that art form, examine your own assumptions and beliefs about art, and write a review arguing that the item in question is "good" or "weak." Afterall, everyone commonly passes judgment—sometimes rather severe—on movies, books, and music, but how often do we stop to consider what we mean by “good” and “bad”?  Where do our tastes come from? Evaluation of art is obviously a very subjective and relative matter, but then how do we decide, as a community, what art will be supported?  And how is it that so many people over decades and centuries—indeed, even over the span of a millennium—have agreed that certain works are especially great?  What do you know about the canon debate, and about how art gets produced, funded, sanctioned?  Are the arts an escape from the world, or a way to confront the world?  What is sentimentality in art?  Is art a minor, low-priority recreation, or a vital human endeavor? Should children (or for that matter college students) be required to take classes in art and music? What is imagination, and what is its role in our lives? Finally, what  works in particular do you especially like, and why? What art would you recommend to others, and how important is it in your everyday life?
 

Instructions

Pick a specific work of art and write a five to seven page review of it for a magazine, newspaper, or website. (Local magazines include High Plains Reader and Art Forum; websites where review are found include such forums as Amazon.com.) You MUST make clear the specific magazine, newspaper, or website. Take care to heed the needs of your particular audience, which will differ according to kind of publication.

Be sure, in your review,  to do the following:

Your purpose is to evaluate your subject. Also: help your readers come away with a better understanding of the piece in particular and of art in general.
 
 
Scoring Criteria

      When I score your final product, I'll look for:

  1. Clear attention to where your review will (hypothetically) appear. I.e., you should have a good working familiarity with either The High Plains Reader or Art Forum—or whatever periodical you've chosen as the place of publication for your review.
  2. I'll look also for a consistent evaluative thesis about a specific work of art.  Your thesis should be evident early in your review and throughout, with special emphasis at the end.
  3. YOU SHOULD MAKE VERY CLEAR YOUR CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING THE KIND OF ART IN QUESTION, you should justify those criteria, and you should apply those criteria to your subject clearly, distinctly, and logically. (Think one criterion per paragraph—give or take.)
  4. Be sure to demonstrate knowledge of your subject. 
  5. Provide a comprehensive introduction and conclusion,and focus your paragraphs with strong topic sentences and transitions. 
  6. As with any argument, pay careful attention to the needs and expectations of your targeted audience and acknowledge and refute opposing views.
  7. All sources should be documented appropriately according to MLA guidelines, with in-text citations and a Work Cited page.
  8. Finally, remember to proofread your work for lapses in style or mechanics.
     

Turning in Your Work and Late Policy for Project #3

 

Need help? Try the Center for Writers

It finish areddi. Check mi later: Cindy.Nichols@ndsu.nodak.edu


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