Final Project: Art from the Ashes or How do Artists Respond to Catastrophes
Choose a community that has experienced catastrophic loss and study how it has responded artistically. The disaster may be natural (e.g.: Hurricane Katrina) or man-made (e.g.: Chernobyl). Or it can be related to war and/or genocide or to a human abuse issue. Sadly, examples abound from the Holocaust to Darfur to child slave labor.
Artistic responses can include permanent or temporary memorials, musical compositions, performances, novels, paintings, photographs, poems, films, etc. You may want to consider the art solely on aesthetic terms or you may want to consider whether the artistic expression has a political dimension to it. Or if it addresses the need to heal. You can choose to study one artist in depth or several different artists or you can choose one genre and do an in-depth study of it or look at several different genres.
Research projects should be written (approx. 10 pages + bibliography) and also include a media component (with links). Students will each have 10 minutes to present their projects to the class at the end of the term.
Due dates:
Choice of topic and short proposal submitted to Prof. Perl: October 20
Proposal updates and sources submitted for approval: Nov. 10
Research paper and oral presentations: Nov. 29 through Dec. 8
Process:
Do a google search using such terms as ‘art and atrocity’ or ‘art and catastrophe.’ and come up with a list of possibilities that interest you.
Research available resources. Based on what you find, choose your focus.
Come up with a research question that allows you to narrow the scope of the research. Begin compiling a list of sources.
Talk with Sam and include a plan for using media in your final reports, both oral and written (e.g., power point, prezi, photographs, IMovie, Dipity, etc.)
Meet with me/hand in your proposal by Oct. 20th.
Progress Reports due: November 10
Presentations due: Nov. 29-Dec. 8
Final Papers due: Dec. 13
