COMPARATIVE STUDY

The COMPARATIVE STUDY is the THEORETICAL component

The COMPARATIVE STUDY is an independent critical and contextual investigation that explores artworks, objects, and artifacts from differing cultural contexts.  It constitutes 20% of the final mark.  It is (basically) a comparative, analytic investigation that strikes a balance between visual and written with no prescribed format.

Students are to submit an ENGAGING RESPONSE with DEVELOPED CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH to demonstrate an UNDERSTANDING OF ORIGINAL PURPOSE AND INFLUENCE as well as how artworks are read by a modern audience.

You are able to organize the CS however you would like, but in my class, we have found the logical (easiest) way to be the most successful. Nobody wants to spend any more time than absolutely necessary on their CS. We all want to do it well, and get it down – so we can spend our time on the fun stuff, making the art!

That being said, don’t discount the value of this study. I actually really like this study as I love watching old-timey detective TV shows and reading detective series. Yes, I have read all the Agatha Christie’s in the world. If you have read or heard of the Ava Lee series by Ian Hamliton, then we could be kindred spirits. If not, do yourself a favour and read it. But seriously, doing your CS is a bit like being an art detective. And that is just fun. So if you do it well and really take your time to engage with the artworks and how they inspire and inform your work, it will bump your understanding up levels and elevate the rest of your work.

Successful CS submissions are FOCUSED with CREATIVE LINKS between artworks, across cultures and across time.

HELPFUL TIP FROM MISS A: I suggest at least starting (if not mostly finishing your CS) during the first year. Take the time to do a really in-depth analysis of the 3 artworks you chose and really understand the artist’s function and purpose as well as their cultural significance. This will open your eyes to possibilities and connections and your awareness overflow into your artmaking and how you notice and relate to the world around you. It will mature you as an artist and get you to a cool confident place that will enhance your ability to create thoughtful artworks and help you to develop your exhibition to be that much more awesome.

The plan I encourage my students to follow is pretty straightforward. Consider:

The Comparative Study should not take 2 years to complete – it is only 20% of your IB mark.  However, it should inform many of your artworks, particularly if you are in HL, and it helps in your PP development.  So if you can, do it earlier than later.  And if you are organized you could complete it within 2 months.  To do so, prepare yourself well.

HELPFUL TIP FROM MISS A: In my class, we begin our CS during year one. We choose our artists and develop our investigation screens (formal analysis, function and purpose, culture and conceptual, similarities and differences.) We choose artists/artworks that inspire us, so during our second year, when we focus more strongly on making art, we are able to use our artworks to reflect on the artist’s inspirations in all facets of our artmaking (creating our HL reflective screens)

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Take a look at the rubric for the CS and become familiar with what IB is looking for.

CONSIDER THE TOP SCORING KEYWORDS: Aim for a consistent, insightful, and informed identification that demonstrates thorough understanding and critically analyzes, discusses connections, evaluates processes and outcomes with informed and meaningful connections in a logical, clear and coherent, visually creative, legible study.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Let’s help each other. If you have a question that I haven’t answered here, email Miss A. Maybe others are curious about it too.

FAQ: SHOULD I ADD ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES AND INFORMATION I FIND INTERESTING? Including material such as artist biographies and broad descriptions of art historical periods are not relevant to the assessment criteria. Also adding timelines of the full artist’s life history is not helpful. A good rule of thumb is to remember the focus is ON THE SPECIFIC ARTWORK. Information about the artist and the art historical period is ONLY relevant in how their choices and the period inform and relate TO THE ARTWORK.

FAQ: DO I HAVE TO STICK WITH ONLY THREE ARTWORKS? WON’T CHOOSING MORE GIVE ME A HIGHER SCORE? Why? Don’t make this harder for yourself than it needs to be.

FAQ: HOW DO I SCORE 7 IN COMPARATIVE STUDY? To score high, you want to present a HIGHLY FOCUSED and EFFECTIVELY PRESENTED CS submission with CREATIVE LINKS between artworks, cultures, and across time. High-scoring CS submissions use contextual research to demonstrate an understanding of each of the 3 artworks’ original purpose and how they compare as well as how artworks are read by a modern audience.

FAQ: WHY IS MY COMPARATIVE STUDY NOT SCORING AS HIGH AS I WANT IT TO? Weaker-scoring CS submissions usually rely on opinion, often describing the life and times of artists rather than evaluating and analysing the artworks (going in deep to formal analysis, function and purpose and cultural significance). Just dropping a quote or citing a fact, or paraphrasing content from a museum site (or wikipedia), is not analysis and this prevents a CS submission from achieving that high score. Lower-scoring CS submissions rely heavily on conjecture, which suggests that the student has not learned how to select and evaluate research to develop their analysis.

FAQ: WHAT ABOUT ARTWORKS OR ARTISTS THAT ARE PROBLEMATIC NOW? SHOULDN’T I FOCUS ON THAT – NOT THE PAST? True, many artworks don’t age well, nor do many artists. I wonder how we will age? 🙂 In your CS submission, of course, discuss current opinions. But don’t JUST stay in the present. ‘Presentism’, the application of present-day beliefs and attitudes to works of the past, reveals an inability to evaluate authentic cultural significance in relation to the original context. If you are focusing only on a contemporary lens your CS submission will be rather shallow and simple.

FAQ: DO I HAVE TO USE MLA OR APA FORMATTING? Choose one or the other – but BE CONSISTENT. A List of Sources is required (and therefore evaluated). In addition to the list of sources, in-text referencing is required throughout the CS; many lower-scoring CS submissions do not do this and many are flagged for academic honesty concerns. Where text is cited, quotation marks need to be used by candidates. to indicate that the text has been copied verbatim. Images need to be labeled and sources referenced.

FAQ: DO I NEED TO CHOOSE A THEME? Some candidates choose an overarching theme to link their selected works. This can help to focus your study, particularly for the comparative sections. Some common themes chosen are mental health, feminism, consumerism, and the environment. However, use themes with caution. If you state a chosen theme, then it needs to be developed throughout the study. If you are choosing a theme because it was in on an art site or your teacher gave you a list of themes, these can be considered formulaic and may show little evidence of independent research. You only want to use a theme if it is inspired by your interests and you are motivated to unpack it.

FOR THE HL REFLECTION, HOW CAN I SCORE HIGH? You want to present exciting connections from your complete art process (not just your finished work) demonstrating an insightful understanding of how your chosen studied artwork has influenced and informed your own choices in making art (that is connected to your chosen studied artwork but not copied) throughout the art-making process.

FAQ: WHY IS MY HL REFLECTION NOT SCORING SO HIGH? Lower-scoring CS submissions may include irrelevant details of ideation or lengthy process descriptions that are NOT RELATED or informed by the CS chosen studied artworks so they are of no value to the assessed task. Also, lower-scoring CS submissions will only compare and discuss how a few of their final works connect and/or resemble their CS chosen studied artworks, with no discussion of how the chosen artworks informed their process. Some low-scoring CS submissions will only describe or conduct a formal analysis of their own work without connecting it to any of the chosen studied artworks.

MEMBER PRIVILEGES INCLUDE:

• CS STUDENT GUIDE: a detailed step-by-step template to help you develop, organize and present your best CS
• CS CHECKLIST: a detailed list to help you organize your CS and to make sure you have included everything you need to score top marks in each Criterion
• CS EXEMPLARS: examples of high-quality, high-scoring RECENT CS’s (legitimate examples of 7)

LET’S JUMP INTO THE COMPARATIVE STUDY:

STEP ONE: CHOOSE WISELY

First, choose 2 (or 3) artists that you are interested in from different cultural backgrounds.  It would be good if you have already studied them and/or are planning on using them for inspiration. 

Then choose 3 artworks (You can choose 3 artists/3 artworks or 2 artists/3 artworks) Since these artworks have to be compared –  choose a theme or a visual idea that you can compare.  (If you choose 3 artworks, there will be one artwork per artist)

CHOOSE ARTISTS THAT ARE RELEVANT AND RELATED TO YOUR ARTWORK.  IN HL, YOU HAVE TO REFLECT HOW THESE ARTISTS INSPIRED YOUR PROCESS.

HELPFUL TIP FROM MISS A: Choose 3 artworks that you can find enough information on – as this is a research activity. This is an activity, not your final say in art, so don’t be stubborn and make your life hard by choosing that one artist you found that one time on Instagram but you think it will be perfect. IB isn’t assessing you on how obscure your art choices are, you are assessed on your skills in art analysis and comparative observations. Many people also get intense about not choosing ‘old dead white guys’. And yes, some artworks can get very cliche. And your knowledge and/or maturity is very obvious from what artworks you choose. So, please don’t use Van Gogh’s Starry Night or Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. I encourage my students to choose ‘one master, one contemporary, one culturally different’. And then I also encourage my students to choose artworks that visually can be related – to give them more visual information to compare. So either choose your artworks based on a theme, or a visual image… something that connects…

STEP TWO: RESEARCH YOUR ARTWORKS

Research each artwork and artist and the possible conceptual and cultural inspirations of their life/artworks. Use McFee’s Conceptual Framework as a guide (below) to ensure you have ENOUGH INFORMATION on each of your artists – before you lock yourself into your choice. Consider not just the Artwork, but the Artist, the Artist’s World as well as the Audience and the Audience’s world.

Click for McFee Frameworks guided questions and more information on Artwork Analysis

To go above and beyond – find articles written by art critics and authors about the artist and their work – that support your research – that you can quote.  This will add maturity and further relevance to your claims.

HELPFUL TIP FROM MISS A: REMEMBER TO SOURCE!!!  If you are taking information from the internet, a good rule of thumb is to immediately copy the URL and insert it directly under the information.  You can use the URL at a later date to gather further information to create your list of sources.

In my class, I ask students to propose their 3 artworks for CS before they get started. For their proposal, they need to show evidence of ENOUGH research on each artwork with at least 5 good (not wikipedia) sources to support EACH artwork.

STEP THREE: ANALYSE YOUR ARTWORKS

Feldman’s Approach is a great way to start organizing your analysis. The guided questions (below) can give you an idea of what sort of questions you need to consider when analyzing artworks. If you make notes based Feldman’s Approach, answering the questions you can, you will have the groundwork for your Formal Analysis screens as well as directions to consider and explore for your Function and Purpose and Cultural Significance screens. Don’t underestimate the value of these frameworks.

Click for detailed guided questions using Feldman’s Approach and more information on Artwork Analysis

PUTTING YOUR CS TOGETHER

Once you have decided on your 3 artworks (that have a wealth of EASY-TO-FIND information about them) and have done some background research, considering the two frameworks (Feldman’s Analysis and McFee’s Framework), you are ready to start creating your screens.

HELPFUL TIP FROM MISS A: To create your screens, there are many options these days. Some of the popular ones are Google Slides, and PPTX.  Canva also can 🙁 but all three of these options have SERIOUS drawbacks. Google, PPT and Canva don’t also you that must mobility to move your information around to best use your space. Many have lame templates that take your control of the aesthetic away. All three have serious challenges in saving the final CS submission file down to 20 MB for IBIS submissions. If you use MAC, then do yourself a favour and use KEYNOTE. It’s free on MAC and it is the absolute BOMB. It gives you so much freedom and space to create screens like you want – fitting everything in – and reducing file size while still keeping image integrity.

INTRODUCTION SCREEN: Use your first screen to introduce your 3 artworks. Make sure you source really good clear full-size digital images (JPEG or PNG). Label each artwork precisely – but all the information here. Then you can use the images, manipulate them, re-size, crop, zoom in to specific parts throughout your study with no need to re-label them. To label include: Artist Name, Artwork Name, Date, Medium, Size, Location (if well-known gallery), and URL that you sourced the image from.

Once you have your images set, write some sort of introductory text. You can discuss a theme, if you chose one (this is not required, but it does help you focus specifically in your comparative screens). You can also discuss specifically what resonated with you about each work and why you chose it. You can discuss how each is culturally different and how they interact together.

Your introduction screen sets the stage for your study, so do take some time and make this screen impactful. Consider what you want to examiner to know about you: your level of knowledge and understanding, your use of subject-specific language, your aesthetic, and your organization. Be cognizant of how you are presenting yourself: your first screen tells an examiner so much, with so little.

FORMAL ANALYSIS

The Formal Analysis screen is based on your OBSERVATIONS. There is little research required for this screen. But to do well (and to help support your later comparative screens), it is important for you to GO DEEP and GET SPECIFIC.

To conceptualize your Formal Analysis, consider how you will present your analysis. You can use Feldman’s Analysis framework directly or you can pick out specific keywords from the Elements of Art and Principles of Design and use them as subheadings – discuss specifically how they are being used by the artist in the artwork. I will always encourage students to include a discussion COMPOSITION, as well as Leading Lines and Colour.

HELPFUL TIP FROM MISS A: Use a digital editor  (such as Photoshop or Procreate) to manipulate your 3 artworks to visualize your observations. You can crop and edit the images to show focus, draw specific lines that you are discussing over the image, create a color scheme, etc.

This screen is also very useful for highlighting your knowledge of subject-specific language. Many students like to bold or change the colour of Art vocabulary to add further emphasis. This only works in your favour if you are using correct, high-level art vocabulary. Check out Miss A’s glossary to help you understand subject-specific language for Visual Arts.

For Criterion A, you are being assessed on the analysis of relevant formal qualities to explain meaning. Subject-specific language should be used to identify the formal qualities. This vocabulary should be appropriate to the form of the selected artwork, for example a different terminology should be applied to photographs, digital, fashion, installation, printmaking, and sculptural works than that used to analyse paintings and graphic works.

IB notes that many higher-scoring CS submissions develop the analysis with detailed explanations and effective use of diagrams and annotation.

However, lower-scoring CS submissions include simple descriptions that are of little value. They might also include inaccurate diagrams of composition(particularly the misapplication of the ’rule of thirds’), and generalised descriptions of processes and materials are common errors. Low-scoring CS submissions also may show a digression into interpretations of symbolism and conceptual meaning rather than being focused clearly on analysing and identifying formal qualities.

FUNCTION AND PURPOSE

Your explorations into Function and Purpose work best if you explore both the function and the purpose of each artwork and present your findings under subtitles. This slide requires RESEARCH and can get wordy – so it is important to organize it well.

Remember to use proper research formatting (depending on your choice of MLA/APA). Include in-text citations and label your images. You may want to organize your in-text citations by adding them directly to the bottom of each slide. Remember to collect all your cited sources – as they must be added to the List of Sources (LOS).

If you used McFee’s Framework chart in the beginning to organize your research, this information will help you determine key points for Function and Purpose as well as Cultural Significance.   If the chart is done well  (with specific information) it should cover both.

Function and Purpose can get a bit confusing.  But how I explain it to my students, is the FUNCTION is what the artwork is made for and the PURPOSE is why the artist made it… sort of. 

FUNCTION = WHAT and PURPOSE = WHY

(OR) FUNCTION = AUDIENCE and PURPOSE = ARTIST

The FUNCTION is what the artwork is actually made for. It can be that was made to sell, or it was commissioned to be a sculpture in a local park, or….

Some questions to consider for FUNCTION:

• Why was the artwork made?
• Was it a choice piece by the artist or was it a commission?
• Was it made to sell? 
• Who was the artwork made for?
• Was it made (or placed somewhere specific) to make a statement on something/impact societal opinions?

If you choose an older artwork, than the FUNCTION may change over time, creating SECONDARY FUNCTIONS:

Some questions to consider for SECONDARY FUNCTIONS:

• Did the function change since the artist made it?
• Is it worth money? Is it an investment?
• Is it a cultural icon?
• Has it influenced other artists/ideas/genres?
• Has it been appropriated?

The PURPOSE is more about why did the artist make it?  We as arist know that why we create something and what specific ideas/symbols/colours/etc we use may not be what the audience understands and interprets. And we know that as artists, we get inspired and informed by ALOT of unconnected, interesting, weird and wonderful things. So when you are exploring PURPOSE, consider what was the artist’s inspiration? What was the story the artist was trying to tell? Was there an issue that the artist was exploring or commenting on?

Some questions to consider for PURPOSE

• What was the artist’s original intentions?
• Did the artist’s intentions evolve was they were creating the piece?
• What story was the artist trying to tell?
• What events happened in the artist’s life that inspired or informed the piece, or that the artist was exploring?
• Was the artist reacting to something?
• Who/What was the artist inspired by?
• Do the artist’s cultural beliefs/religion/location/era affect the choices made? 
• Why did the artist choose the specific medium?
• What does the artist think of their own work?

It will be helpful as you research PURPOSE to consider how the artist discusses their artwork.

• What was the artist’s own opinion of this work?
• Where did the artist struggle in creating this work?
• What was the artist’s opinion of the reception of their work (after they finished it)?

Of course, function and purpose can intertwine which is why you don’t really have to specify which one you are talking about – as long as you explore both of these ideas on the screen. You can go more in-depth with function and purpose if you choose older artworks- as they would have their original function and purpose – but this may have changed over the years. 

You might also want to consider the function and purpose from the perspective of the audience – or purchaser of the work? Where was it intended to go?  Why?  This can also change.

LET ME EXPLAIN:

PRIMARY FUNCTION: If we look at Hokusai’s Great Wave of Kanagawa, originally, the work’s function was to be part of a series of collaborative prints. It was created nearer the end of Hokusai’s life and was meant as a celebration. Woodblock printing was a big deal in Japan during Hokusai’s time and selling prints was a way that Hokusai made some serious cash. The series went viral in its day and so it had to be printed a second time with new prints. At the time, many Japanese prints were being shared with Europe so a case can also be made that this print had a SECONDARY FUNCTION as a cultural ambassador of Japan and/or an inspiration to European artists (where it was admired by Van Gogh and his friends creating a romantic resurgence of all things Japonainse)

Hokusai’s PURPOSE of the work was to create what he loved (art) in the medium he was successful in (woodblock printing) but also to celebrate the beauty of Mount Fuji. If you have been to Japan and had the privilege of a clear day, you will understand the reverence for this beauty of a mountain. The religion of Japan at the time was Shintoism – which is (very simply) the worship of the spirit of nature.  And Hokusai was very much into this.

However, as we know, the function of the print began to change as it aged, particularly NOW since it has been embraced by a global audience creating a SECONDARY CONTEMPORARY FUNCTION where its purpose has evolved into this massive mega-marketing Japanese superstar representing all that is Japan.

For Criterion B, there are two aspects to the analysis of the function and purpose of the artworks: the consideration of symbolism or iconography, and then the wider aspects of function, such as the social, expressive, and political uses artworks are put to. Effective CS submissions support investigations of function and purpose with cited research and the use of visual evidence to develop an informed reading of the artwork. Quotations if used are included and linked within the discussion to support analysis.

Lower-scoring CS submissions digress into conjecture and opinion – this criterion does not ask for a personal interpretation. Some use subtitles such as ‘historical function’ ‘symbolic function’ etc. without consideration of each distinct function so this does not encourage meaningful evaluation. When quotations are added just dropped onto the screen without linking to the discussion and/or evaluation they are of no value.

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

Your explorations into Cultural Significance also require RESEARCH and can get wordy – so it is important to organize it well. Try and find articles from art historians or art critics discussing the impact of your chosen artwork to give clout to your CS submission.

Remember to use proper research formatting (depending on your choice of MLA/APA). Include in-text citations and label your images. You may want to organize your in-text citations by adding them directly to the bottom of each slide. Remember to collect all your cited sources – as they must be added to the List of Sources (LOS).

To understand Cultural Significance (you can also consider Conceptual Significance as an added dimension)- it’s more about looking at influences from the world on the artist that can be realised in the artwork. Cultural significance is a bit easier to explore, starting with where the artist is from and/or where they are working/creating the work. What country/religion/culture morays may affect their work? What materials are available for them to use at the time the artwork is created? What are the artist’s feelings/thoughts/biases about the country/religion/culture that surrounds them…

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE: ARTIST’S WORLD (AND AUDIENCE WORLD)

To conceptualize your Cultural Significance, consider how you will present your analysis. You can use McFee’s Framework chart directly or you can pick out specific key influences (personal/religious/local/world) and use them as subheadings – discuss specifically how they are being used to influence and inform the artwork.

For conceptual, try to understand the story of the artwork.  As artists, you know that your culture: your country, your family, your visual culture, your likes/dislikes, your aesthetic and your influences all come into play influencing your choices.

For CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE, consider:

• Where the artist is from and/or where they are working/creating the work. 
• What country/religion/culture morays may affect their work? 
• What is the artist’s feelings/thoughts/biases about the country/religion/culture that surrounds them…
• What location is the artist when s/he created the artwork?  What is happening there? 
• What is the culture of that location? 
• What culture is affecting the artwork? Could it affect the artwork?  How? Why?
• What year is the artwork created?  What is happening in that year? In the location of the artist? In the world?  
• Could it affect the artwork? How? Why? 
• What is the artist’s background?  Family life?  Major trauma and/or happiness in life?  Does it affect the artwork? How? Why?
• What art styles and/or groups does the artist/artwork belong to?
• Who/what influences the artist/artwork?
• Is the artwork in response to an event/idea/another artwork?
• Is the artwork a cause of an event/idea/another artwork?

Sometimes there is not as much obvious about cultural significance, perhaps the artwork might seem like a simple landscape, but if you consider that the artist chose to create that specific scene, choosing to create objects various sizes/colours/etc.. then it should become more clear that there is a story that the artist is trying to tell.  Objects can also be considered symbols representing other ideas (that the artist intended, or the audience interprets).so you can also explore CONCEPTUAL SIGNIFICANCE:

• Does the artist use any symbolism in the work?  
• Is there a larger concept that is relevant in the work? 
• Does the artwork tell a story that is not obvious to the viewer?
• What is the audience’s response to the artwork?
• Are there different ways the artwork can be interpreted based on differences of race, religion, beliefs, values, etc?

You may also consider MATERIAL SIGNIFICANCE, looking at the choosing of materials that the artist used.  Why did the artist choose particular mediums/colour/presentation? :

• What materials are available for them to use at the time the artwork is created?
• Why did the artist choose specific materials?
• What colours?  Are they chosen for a reason?  Does it make a difference in the artwork? 

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE: If we go back to our good friend Hokusai’s work culture is a strong influence. If Hokusai was not in Japan, would his work be the same? At the time Hokusai was creating this work, Japan was opening up to the western market and the demand for woodblock prints was high. Did this affect Hokusai’s choices? Also, since Japan was isolated for so long earlier was there a backlash in Japan against the new western thoughts? Could this have affected Hokusai’s purpose to celebrate Mount Fuji? (yes)

CONCEPTUAL SIGNIFICANCE:  Consider why Hokusai chose to make the wave so large, overshadowing the tiny Mt. Fuji. That’s not how it looks IRL. And why did he place small vulnerable fishing boats with faceless sailors rowing with all their might under the wave, going into the wave, not away from it? And doesn’t the foam on the ends of the waves look sort of like fingers clawing out to the sailors?  Couldn’t the wave be a symbol of something – like the power of the ocean – that was/is constantly determining the quality of life for Japan… or…… (get the idea?)  

MATERIAL SIGNIFICANCE:  Consider the art of woodblock print – it was a popular art form in Japan during Hokusai’s time.  But was it the only art form? And so why did Hokusai choose it? Was it because it was easier to disseminate? And why did he choose those colours? Was the beautiful blue dye that he used for the ocean, a native colour to Japan or did it have to be imported?  

For Criterion C, high-scoring CS submissions use their research to evaluate the cultural significance of the selected artworks. High-scoring CS submissions concentrate their focus ONLY on the cultural context of the selected works establishing significant connections to other art works, genres, and to the development of styles and cultural contexts. Effective CS submissions considered the original audience and purpose, and when appropriate the significance of the artwork to a contemporary audience or its influence on the development of other artworks. 

Lower-scoring CS submissions use generalized biographical or historical information without making any clear links with the selected work. Outlines of historical periods and artist biographies are best placed in visual arts journals and personal preparatory notes as they do not contribute to a focused CS submission. Students should select only the research that is relevant to the evaluation of the CS chosen artworks. There are instances when the artist’s biography is relevant but this should be justified through explicit connections in the text to the selected artwork.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

Some people may think that it is difficult to fill 5 screens with Compare and Contrast but if you have been thorough in your research and analysis in the previous screens, then these screens are pretty easy (and obvious) to do. These slides are based mostly on your OBSERVATION. It’s best if you focus very clearly on the similarities and differences between the artworks.

To organize your screens, I suggest choosing a general theme for each slide to guide your comparatives. You can focus on the three components; Formal Analysis, Function and PUrpose and Cultural Signficance. However, that may present as limited, so I suggest going a bit deeper and finding key elements within each of those areas to focus on

Some ideas are to:

• Consider composition, colour choice, texture, etc. How is this key element explored and realized similarly and differently in the artworks?
• Consider the cultural context of the work, how each work shaped similarly and differently and impacted by their culture?
• Consider the use of motifs, signs, symbols…how is the meaning communicated similarly and differently?
• Consider the material use and artist process. What do they do that is similar? What is different?
• If you created a theme to guide your CS, then you could include a screen here discussing how each artwork relates similarly and differently to the theme

It’s usually easiest to start your comparison section with a Venn Diagram.  This is not a requirement for your screens and it is recommended not to include it. I like to have students use it as a planning tool. This is an easy visual way to organize the similarities and differences between artworks and to notice what are the key areas of comparison. From this you can decide what key elements/themes/areas that will be strongest for you to explore in depth.

Keep in mind, while graphic tables and Venn diagrams can provide a useful summary of similarities and differences, they do not encourage an evaluative comparison or discussion. Grids are only effective when the written content develops discussion and critical reflection, they should not be used to paste in repeated content from previous screens; the simple juxtaposition of information does help your work.

HELPFUL TIP FROM MISS A: I encourage students to use the Venn Diagram as a planning tool. This is an easy visual way to organize the similarities and differences between artworks and to notice what are the key areas of comparison. From this you can decide what key elements/themes/areas that will be strongest for you to explore in depth.

As you work your way through your comparision screenns, ensure that you are ANALYZING and EVALUATING the similarities and differences (not just pointing them out. Consider:

• Who did (whatever you are exploring) the most similar? Who was the most different?
• How does the way each artist chose to do/use (whatever you are exploring) inform their artwork? How does it elevate the work? How does it not?

For Criterion D, high-scoring CS submissions show evidence of considered ability to compare the similarities and differences between all the selected artworks developing considered discussion and evaluation of the comparisons. Comparisons were most meaningful when the artworks selected had a connection, for example a similar subject from different times and cultures, or a shared visual quality.

AND DON’T FORGET THAT PRESENTATION COLUMN IN THE RUBRIC!

This Presentation and Subject-Specific Language of the rubric is looking for 3 distinct things (in order of importance)

• Referencing
• Subject Specific Language
• Creative Presentation

For REFERENCING, as we have discussed choose either MLA or APA and use it CONSISTENTLY. Include in-text citations and label your images. You may want to organize your in-text citations by adding them directly to the bottom of each slide. Remember to collect all your cited sources – as they must be added to the List of Sources (LOS). If you need more info on MLA and APA, I cannot recommend the PURDUE OWL site enough. If you don’t know about this site, you will come to love it – for the rest of your academic life. You are welcome.

For SUBJECT SPECIFIC LANGUAGE, this is you art vocabulary. Check out Miss A’s glossary. USE IT PROUDLY. Keep in mind that there is different vocabulary for different art processes; photography, printmaking, and sculpture have different wordage than illustration, painting, and even digital work. For instance in painting, you may discuss transparency or translucency achieved with paint layers but digitally, say in procreate, you would discuss that as opacity. To shout out your knowledge of subject-specific wordage, BOLD your art words or change the font colour.

For CREATIVE PRESENTATION, you are encouraged to notice that its says CREATIVE yes, but what it means more is LEGIBLE.  If you are interested in creating a high-scoring CS submission full of in-depth research and thoughts and all that good stuff, you want to submit something that the examiner can read. So, LEGIBLE is definitely more important.  

• Keep your screens clean and easy to read. 
• Add creative touches – but make sure they do not impede readability.
• Font size should be no smaller than 12 (except for image labels/citations)  
• For font choice, use clear and easy-to-read fonts (think Arial, Times Roman, Helvetica; the boring ones). 
• You can have some fun with headings – but don’t use obscure hard-to-read fonts.

For Criterion E you are being evaluated on two aspects: the use of subject specific vocabulary and presentation. High-scoring CS submissions have creative layouts that enhanced understanding through the juxtaposition of images, cropping and contextual illustrations. These responses also Many responses use terminology effectively and consistent referencing.

Lower-scoring CS submissions use small font sizes, distracting backgrounds, distorted reproductions, and colored text on non-contrasting backgrounds still occur. Lower-scoring CS submissions may also include long prose passages that do not clearly convey information or do not go beyond a general description, particularly when analyzing installations, sculpture, and photography. Some apply templates with terms that are not understood or are irrelevant to the forms of the selected artworks, demonstrating limited understanding. Similarly, some common terms are not properly understood, particularly, texture, ‘tone/value’, saturation, hue and the often misapplied ‘rule of thirds. Process-specific terms are rarely used and are particularly lacking in the analysis of photography, printmaking, and sculpture.

REFLECTIVE SCREENS (HL)

“The work analyses and reflects upon the outcomes of the investigation consistently and appropriately.  The student effectively considers their own development, making informed and meaningful connections to their own art-making practice“

The wording of the rubric for the HL Reflective Screens is rather vague – and can be presented any way that you would like, but essentially, the examiners are looking for detailed ways throughout your investigation that you have analysed and reflected upon the work of your artist.  Try to make connections throughout your process. Discuss how you were inspired by the artist. It could be major or subtle. Try not to simply compare your work to your chosen CS artworks. And you don’t want to COPY your chosen CS artworks. It should appear that you took the artist’s work on your chosen CS artworks and the artist’s ideas or techniques and used aspects of it to create YOUR OWN IDEA. It is expected that your CS artworks inform and inspired your process in an entwined and embedded fashion.

HELPFUL TIP FROM MISS A: There is no ‘required’ number of artworks to connect with – but I always recommend you try to connect with all 3 artworks.  But, you may do so with only a really in-depth exploration of one of your art processes and artwork creation. What the examiner is looking for is the quality of your reflective connections

To do so, ensure that you visually (show pictures) of how your CS chosen artworks inspired your work 

• during inspiration/development
• by technique
• in the final work

Think about your art process – how were you inspired by the ideas of the artists from your CS? Discuss how you were inspired by the your chosen CS artwork.   Show images of your process and unpack you were inspired, reflecting and evaluating with each step.

INCLUDE CONNECTIONS TO: 

• ARTIST THEME/IDEAS
  • How did the artist’s idea inspire your initial ideas? Were you inspired by the artist’s views/interests/religious/ideas?  How? Did you explore some of the artist’s ideas in your own way? Is there knowledge that the artist talks about that you relate to? How does the artist view the world? Did you try to view your world in the same way?
• ARTIST TECHNIQUE
  • What was the artist’s process? Where did they get their ideas?  How are they similar to yours?
    What techniques did the artist use in the development stage that you used?
  • Did you experiment with some of the artist’s techniques?  Did they use a certain medium in a certain way?  What EOA and POD does the artist use that you used – did you use the same colour scheme? Texture? Contrast? Use of lines? Exaggeration? Juxtaposition?
  • Show close ups of their technique and then close up examples of yours.  What did you experience by experimenting with the artist’s technique? What did you learn about the artist while trying the technique?
• FINAL ARTWORK
  • How did the artist or artist’s work inspire your final artwork? Did you use the same composition/style/colour scheme?  Why did you choose that? What is it that you liked about the artist work? How does it elevate your work? What did you learn about the artist from using his ideas/techniques/composition ideas? How does it help you be a better artist? 

For Criterion F, in high-scoring CS submissions, a clear personal voice emerges, especially when using the study as an opportunity to consider cultural backgrounds, or engaging with an issue of strong personal importance, such as gender identity or feminism in the context of the selected works, and their artistic practice, resulting in profound and personal evaluation. High-scoring CS submissions are clear and explicit how they were influenced by one or more of the selected artworks whether conceptual, stylistic, or technical, or sometimes a combination of all three, evaluating the impact of these connections to their development as artists.

Lower-scoring CS submissions compared their artmaking with their selected CS artworks to evaluate influence. Criterion F can be effectively met by making significant connections between one of the candidates’s artworks and one of the CS selected artworks. Lower-scoring CS submissions tried to make links with a number of their works and their chosen CS artworks , leading to superficial connections with some of the works.

Lower-scoring CS submissions may also notice that:

• the influences of their CS chosen artworks on their own artworks are not evaluated.
• the connections made between thier own artworks and their CS chosen artworks are so broad as to be universal and so become superficial
• intentions and processes in their own artmaking are described but no connections are made to their CS chosen artworks (so more straight-up process portfolio)
• similarities and differences between their artworks and their chosen CS artworks are listed rather than explorations and explanations as to how their artworks were inspired by chosen CS artworks.
• new artworks are introduced by artists that were not considered in the CS.