Please give the title, author’s name, and website url for each source listed. In Part Two of the assignment template, please include a works cited list of the research you have conducted (at least 2-3 independently-found sources should be listed). ( Wikipedia and Artsy are not acceptable sources of information). Look for other writings, reviews and/or videos that help you to understand the artist’s practice and ideas, and the given artwork(s) in greater depth. In addition to watching/reading all included explanatory material, please conduct independent research about the artist(s) and their artwork(s) online. (200-300 words please)ī is for Background – Watch the linked video(s) and/or read the provided literature about the artwork provided in Section Two of the included information document. Please also ensure that it’s clear from your response that you have indeed looked at all images and video documentation included.
Note: if there is a series of artworks (rather than just one singular artwork) included in the assignment, please make sure you discuss all of them as they relate to each other. You don’t need to know what the artist’s intentions for the artwork are (what the artwork is about) at this stage – discuss what your experience looking at it is. What details did you notice about the materials, the imagery, the way the artwork is made or displayed, its scale, its relationship to architectural or social space, etc.? On first observation, what about the artwork hooked you, challenged you, excited you, etc.? WHY? Be specific! Write down all your initial observations and associations with the artwork. I am asking you to honestly time yourself and record the time so that you gain a better sense of how quickly or slowly you engage in the observational process)Ī is for Association – In Part One of the assignment template, write about your initial observations, thoughts, reactions, questions and gut feelings about the artwork(s) based on what you have seen so far. (Note: everyone will inevitably need different amounts of time for this stage. Record the time you spent looking in Part One of the assignment template (note: please do not include the time you spend writing your Association response – just the time you spend carefully looking at all the artwork documentation).
You need to spend enough time with these images/videos/text to really build thoughtful associations to the artwork. Take your time, don’t rush through this step in just a few minutes. At this stage the only information you have is the images and/or video documentation, and the brief informational caption about the artwork (much like what you would experience seeing an artwork on display in a gallery or museum). Be sure you look at ALL material given here – both photos and video links, if given. Spend time looking at, analyzing and jotting down thoughts and notes about the artwork documentation in Section One of the included document. Set a timer on your phone to record how much time you spend looking at and engaging with the documentation of the artwork(s) in this initial phase. T is for Time – Clear your mind (as Ossian Ward says: wipe your brain slate clean!). Using Ossian Ward’s Tabula Rasa step-by-step process, you will be looking at, learning and researching about, and analyzing a specific artist’s (or artist collective’s) singular artwork or body of related artworks. It will also help you become familiar with the complex ways artists use specific materials, locations and imagery to communicate their ideas and promote deeper thinking in their artwork’s viewers. This will help you approach works of art in any context and be able to have a meaningful experience engaging with even the most challenging or confusing works of contemporary art.
Through following this method you will practice synthesizing your observations, impressions, research and understandings about the artwork.
In the Tabula Rasa projects you will use Ossian Ward’s “T.A.B.U.L.A.” method to look at, analyze, reflect upon and write about a work of contemporary art.