Hello all,
With the essay for section two of the exam, how many artists should I be aiming to talk about? Is two okay, or should I be trying to use three? And with the artists, how many works is the minimum?
Also, at school, our teachers have never told us to include critics or quotes in our essays, but reading through some essays, I've noticed this a lot- should I find and include quotes and critic in my essay for the trial paper?
Thanks, and good luck to everyone doing trials!
Hey, _Himani_!
I'm basically just seconding everything nishta has addressed in her response
I would definitely recommend having a third artist in the essay but the number of artworks themselves can be very much up to you! I only did one artwork per artist but really valued depth in my analysis, whereas I've seen sample essays that would discuss two or three artworks per artist. It depends on what you think will best illustrate your judgement and provide substance for your response.
As for quotes, I used quotes not just from critics and historians, but also the artist themselves! I've attached a sample paragraph below from my HSC which you can see how I've integrated them.
Sample Essay Paragraph
Postmodern environmental sculptor Patrick Dougherty is an American artist who utilises natural materials in his innovative ‘Stickworks’ constructions. Dougherty’s background in carpentering and his intrigue for nature’s dynamism is expressed in his conceptual practice, heavily reliant on innovation to build his sculptural forms that represent the place’s audience. Amongst these towering sculptures was his 2008 ‘Sortie de Cave’, displayed at Jardin des Arts in Chateaubourg, France which unifies the man-made and the natural worlds. This installation has been motivated by what the artist considers to be “the energy of the people and...the place” and it is this connection to his audience that resonates within his artmaking. These large-scaled buildings have amalgamated two distinct qualities of the society in which they stand on with form; the multi-storey housing typical of European architecture and, as described by the CBS News, “wine bottles looking slightly tipsy”, referencing the viticulture France is well known for. In extracting these cultural homages, Dougherty has framed the appearance of the caves with open windows and entrances, as well as manipulating height to mimic these features. Innovation has thus been conducted into the social and cultural facets of his chosen environment. This is translated further in his materials as an artist whose works are publicly constructed on-site. Gathering materials from the setting such as pliable twigs and tree saplings to create the spiralling effects, Dougherty’s construction was a temporary work that “(looks) found rather than made... by the natural force of a tornado sweeping across a landscape”, noted by art curator Linda Johnson. This reveals that the artist’s practice was inspired from the present environment itself and his innovation is derived from the culture he is representing, to the materials he employs. Hence, Dougherty caters to the setting he is provided to work in and ‘Sortie De Cave’ is a paragon of how his artmaking emerged from a consideration towards the respective environment, making it relevant to the audience.
Hope that helps and all the best for your Trials exam
Angelina