Second Essay Brief

2nd ESSAY BRIEF: 2000 words. Deadline Monday, 9th March 2009

Essay brief given on Monday, 5th January 2009

A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF YOUR CHOSEN SUBJECT.

Choose a subject based on an area of your interest. It can be an artist, architect, designer, movement, film, exhibition or designed object. Then find two texts/articles written about that subject and, in 2000 words, discuss their arguments - adding your own ideas.
Rather than a direct history of the subject you should analyse the material you find. The texts can come from books (rather than a whole book, use a single chapter or an introduction/conclusion), magazine/newspaper articles, Internet, reviews of an exhibition, exhibition catalogues, interviews and so on. Try and vary your sources - find two different types of articles with differing arguments or points of view for you to add your own ideas.

(ONLY ONE INTERNET SOURCE IS ALLOWED).

Please note that he subject should be agreed with me in advance.

Your essay should:

• Introduce your subject.
• Introduce your articles/discussing your research.
• Comment on the availability of existing literature on your subject – was it easy to find? What was available? What sources did you explore? How the sources approach the subject?
• Place yourself in the authors arguments (have a clear opinion and bring evidences to defend it).
• Have a conclusion with your own considerations about the subject.

I will expect a full bibliography of all material you have consulted – and use of illustrations where appropriate.

Helpful questions:

What questions do the articles or texts ask about the subject?
Who is writing about your subject and how does it differ from another approach? Art/design historians, film historian, journalists, critics, artists etc.
What themes do they discuss and how?
When was it written? Is it relevant to the date of your subject?
What sources and methods did the writer use? What other articles/books do they refer to?
Did the articles contain information you expected? What are they not asking – and what would you propose/criticize? Bring your evidences!