Directions

Initial check: Wednesday, March 25 (chosen culture, beginning research)
Mid-way check: Friday, April 3 (study guide, chart layout)
*Hard copy due date: Friday, April 24

*Adapted from Stefanie Gaines of SDUSD
Objective: Below are the themes using non-western traditions that have come up on previous AP exams. This is one of the two essays that you will be writing on the exam. You will have 30 minutes to write each essay. They are not based on slides and address typical and important problems in the history of art. You must illustrate your argument, identifying the examples as fully as possible so that the reader knows what you are talking about. You must use art historical vocabulary to analyze technical, stylistic, and expressive aspects. You must avoid making personal judgments or comparing works as better as or worse than each other.


What exactly should I include in this BOUND dossier?
5pts     1. A title page (Name, class, date, chosen culture)
5pts     2. Table of Contents (tabs are always a good idea)
15pts   3. Brief description of culture including location and dates (like an “abstract”) AND works cited
45pts   4. Completed study guide of your chosen culture
30pts   5. Notes (in whatever format works for you) on cultural considerations
50pts   6. Completed chart that includes art and architecture for EACH theme. Include printed images.
50pts   7. One fully typed out essay that answers one of the thematic questions presented.
30pts   8. Contemporary Artist Profile
20pts   Following all directions, completeness, originality, effort
--------------------------
250 points total

Your Assignment

• You will become a specialist of one (or more, if you chose) non-western tradition (see below) by creating a dossier (collection of notes, documents, images of a particular event/culture/person/thing). Everything must be typed. Pretend like you’re putting together an intense art/architectural profile on your chosen culture, which must be different from your previous research essay.
  
• Your dossier will include the notes, the study guide chapter or chapters (one provided for each culture for your convenience), your outline and notes, and a section for each of the themes that follow below.

• Do the study guide(s) of the chapter you have chosen. Every time you read the chapter(s), go over the study guide questions to make sure you have answered them completely and correctly. Remember to read the questions carefully. Answer the essay and short answer questions as if you were writing for the exam. This is going to be very good practice!!!

• Read the chapter(s) over and over and again. Create notes/flashcards on general cultural considerations and contexts (historical, religious, etc.). How you organize this is your own. A suggested worksheet is also attached for better organization. It will not help you to simply copy and paste information from websites or the book. Seriously, don’t. The point is for you understand and analyze the culture when you compile information.

• You will need to apply each of the themes below to your non-western chapter. Make a chart of all the images that apply to EACH theme. You may use more than your book to find relevant images, in fact, you probably will need to go beyond Gardner’s. You may have more than one artwork for each theme but you do need have at least one. Create notes of formal qualities, materials used, context/function/influences, and how this artwork/architecture applies to the theme. Your chart is personal; your design is what works for you. Must be typed. In the future, you will use this chart to study from. The more complete and organized you make it now, the better for easy studying.

• Contemporary Artist Profile

• In addition to the already filled out chart, you will fully answer (typed, full paragraphs, complete sentences) one of the thematic questions presented below. No length requirement, should be long enough to cite visual evidence, and fully answer the question. The choice is yours of which one you want to respond to.

***This is a very important part of your AP exam prep, as we do not have time to go over all the non-western chapters in class.    

Cultures

YOUR CHOICES: Must be different from your previous research essay!

Asia: China and Korea
Asia: Japan
Buddhist Art of Asia and SE Asia
Early and Later Africa
South America
Ancient Northern America

WHAT YOU CAN'T CHOOSE:
As for as the exam goes, “Beyond the European tradition” technically also includes:
Ancient Mesopotamia**
Ancient Egypt**
Islamic Art of the Near East

BUT there is an emphasis on using examples from non-Western cultures other than Egypt and the Ancient Near East:

The Development Committee is concerned about the overuse of Egyptian and Ancient Near East examples for the essay question that asks students to discuss art beyond the European tradition. The committee added the following statement to the Course Description for 2010: "One of the 30-minute essay questions requires students to incorporate at least one example of art beyond the European tradition into their essays. Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Near East are fully covered in the multiple-choice questions in Part I and the short-answer essays in Part II of the exam. The intent of this essay question is to draw from areas such as Africa (beyond ancient Egypt), the Americas, Asia, Islamic cultures, and Oceania."

So, this means, ONLY USE EGYPT OR MESOPOTAMIA IF YOU LITERALLY CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE!!!

STUDY GUIDES
You can download all the STUDY GUIDES HERE. They are in one large document so just cut and paste your section into a new document. Again, DO NOT try and find the answers other than on your own in your text book or other text sources. They should be answered in your own words. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. YOU WILL RECEIVE A ZERO ON THE ENTIRE ASSIGNMENT IF YOU DO. 

CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS LIST
*Just suggestions. You can choose from this list or research your own. 
Africa
China
China part 2 (Weirdly, Ai Wei Wei and Maya Lin is not on either list. They are also a good ones.)
Japan
Korea
India
Artists of the Middle East (AMAZING current exhibition at LACMA)
Iraq
South and Southeast Asia (Guggenheim exhibition)
Brazil
South America in general
KhanAcademy general list of important artists (1980-present)
ART 21 by PBS

Themes

Read the question and take a moment to think about and understand what the question asks.

1. Cultural attitudes about women are often revealed in art
Select and fully identify two works of art that depict one or more women. The works must come from two different cultures, one of which must be from beyond the European tradition. Explain how each work reveals its culture’s attitudes about women.

2. Violence 
Throughout history, art representing hostility or violence has been used for a variety of purposes.

 Select and fully identify two such works of art from different cultures, one of which must be from beyond the European tradition.  Explain how and why each work of art communicates hostility or violence.

 3. Nature
Representations of the natural world or motifs from nature are found in the art of all time and places.

Choose and fully identify two appropriate works of art from different cultures.  One of your choices must be from beyond the European tradition.

Explain why and how each work uses representations of the natural world or motifs from nature.

 4. Narration (telling a story)
Most cultures have made use of art’s narrative function.

Select and fully identify two works of art that visually convey a narrative.  At least one of your choices must be from beyond the European tradition.  Identify the subject of each narrative and discuss the means used to convey the narrative

 5. Human Figure

This question asks you to explore the stylistic relationships between form and content of figurative art.


How a culture is perceived is often expressed in depictions of the human figure.  Choose two specific representations of the human body from different cultures.  Only one of your choices may be from a European artistic tradition.  Discuss significant aspects of each culture that are revealed by the way in which the human body is depicted

6. Architecture as Power and Authority
Many cultures use architecture to express or reinforce power and authority.

Choose two works of architecture from different cultures, identifying each work as fully as possible.  At least one work must come from beyond the European tradition.  Discuss how each work conveys power and authority.

7. Sacred Space
1) Virtually all of the world’s cultures have defined sacred space for religious purposes.  The design and appearance of these spaces vary greatly.  Fully identify two specific sacred spaces, at least one of which must be from beyond the European tradition.  For each choice, discuss the relationship between the appearance of the space and its religious function.

 2) Cultures designate sacred space in a variety of ways to accommodate both religious beliefs and practices.  Select and fully identify two examples of sacred spaces from different cultures, one of which must be from beyond the European tradition. Discuss how each space accommodates both religious beliefs and practices within its culture.

 8. Power and Authority Choose two specific images of power and authority, each produced in a different culture.  At least one must come from a non-European-based tradition.  How does each work of art convey that particular culture’s notion of what constitutes power and authority?

9. Religious Images 
In many cultures, artists have produced images for religious use.  

Name two images, such as wall decorations, sculptures, or other objects, each from a different culture.  At least one image must be from a non-European or non-

European-based culture.  Discuss how the images conform to the beliefs of the culture in which they were produced, and in what ways each contributed to reinforcing those beliefs.

 10. Sacred Space 
  1) Many cultures designate spaces or create structures for religious devotion.  Choose two specific examples, each from a different culture.  At least one culture must be non-European or non-European based.  Identify your examples and their cultures.  Discuss the ways in which your examples create places appropriate for religious devotion in each culture.  Consider (if applicable) plan, orientation, site, structure, ornamentation, etc.

 2) Artists within a culture often use depictions of ancestors, siblings, couples, or other types of family groupings to communicate larger social, political, mythical, and historical concerns. Select and fully identify two works, in any medium, that represent family groupings or relationships. The works should come from two different cultures. At least one of the two examples must be from beyond the European tradition. Discuss the specific cultural concerns the work communicates and analyze the visual means used to communicate those concerns. 

 11. Propaganda
Throughout history, art has been used as propaganda to shape public opinion. Propaganda takes many forms, such as architecture, paintings, and print media, and is used to promote religious, political, and social ideologies. Select and fully identify two works, in any medium, that were used to shape public opinion. One of your examples must date before 1900 C.E., and one must date after 1900 C.E. Citing specific elements in each work, analyze how each work conveyed its propagandistic message to its intended audience.