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Thinking, Making, Writing: Art Research Paper

The Assignment

This is a guide to the Art Research Paper, a major assignment in Thinking, Making, Writing courses.

The paper focuses on one work of your art created and critiqued in a Studio Foundations course. It includes a description of your art and a thoughtful presentation on one question you wish to investigate. Your research on your question may focus on themes, sources of inspiration, techniques, tools, or methods.

Your research also includes comparisons of the similarities and differences with one or two other artists or designers (that you choose). In a sense, this art paper becomes the story of a process of discovering some new ways you are able think and write about one work of art that you created in a Studio Foundation course. 
 
Image: Sydney Wong (MassArt Class of 2024)

The Big Picture: The Art Research Paper in Context

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Your Art Research Paper is the culmination of your Thinking, Making, Writing course. It is meant to create mindfulness about your process of making art or design. You can see the process mapped out in the diagram above on the left. The right diagram shows how the Art Research Paper is an interdisciplinary project, tying together your experiences working with your Liberal Arts and Studio Foundation faculty, the MassArt librarians, the ARC staff, and others. 

This guide will help walk you through the Observe and Research stages depicted on the diagram on the left. Feel free to follow the pages of this guide in sequence or jump in wherever you wish.