Guidelines for AIC Field Trip Presentations

GUIDELINES FOR OUR FIELD TRIP TO THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO

(Note: The information below and the presentation rubric is available on the Art History syllabus. Click on hyperlinks to access PDF files.)

Overview:

On Monday, May 1, we will take a class field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago. Students will work in pairs on the museum assignment. Please check the sign-up sheet and find a partner. By Monday, April 24, please let us know what work of art you and your partner chose and its location. Mr. Janus and Ms. Ledezma will need to map out our movement through the galleries in advance. 

During the field trip, students will act as docents, or museum guides, to their peers and give five-minute presentations on the artwork of their choice. The artwork needs to be of European origin and made during or after the nineteenth century.

Since this presentation will require preparation, each student must visit the museum on their own or with their partner prior to our field trip. Some research about the artwork, maker, time period, and/or process will be necessary. Please meet with your partner to select and research the artwork as soon as possible.

Assignment:

Students will use one of the following three forms of art historical analysis for their presentation. In addition to providing your peers with a basic introduction to the artwork and maker, you will choose one of these forms of analysis as a lens for studying your object:

Socio-historical analysis contextualizes a work of art within its particular time period and social conditions. This form of analysis asks: What social or political issues surround the making or reception of the work of art? How does the work of art relate to larger religious, political, or economic developments? What does the work of art tell us about the society which produced it?

Formal analysis examines the elements of a composition (the components of its form), such as color, texture, proportion, contrast, space, and balance. If you choose formal analysis, you could begin by describing in detail the various elements of a work of art and then explain how they work together to create an overall effect. Formal analysis is an exercise in close looking and in translating what you see (the visual elements of an artwork) into language (your verbal presentation). This form of analysis relies on what you can see, rather than socio-historical or stylistic contextualization. 

Stylistic analysis investigates how a work of art fits within a particular period of art history, such as the Renaissance and Baroque periods. If you choose stylistic analysis as your lens, you should first examine the formal qualities of the object and then explain how it conforms to or defies period categorization. You should draw upon what you have learned about periodization in our art history lectures.

Suggestions:

• Before going to the museum, visit the Art Institute of Chicago website and click on the COLLECTIONS icon. Here you can browse the collections and determine the location of objects. If the object is listed as “Not on Display,” please find an alternative. There are also Collection Updates (new on view, gallery closures, and works off view) posted under the VISIT section of the website.

• Free Thursday Evenings: General admission is free to Illinois residents every Thursday from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. throughout the year.

• Since half of the students completed this assignment in November 2016, you may want to ask your peers about their experience and recommendations for creating a successful presentation.

• Please email me at ledezma@uchicago.edu if you have any questions.