Position Paper:

3-pages based on the reading we have discussed in class ( I attached the reading below)

Your essay must be typed and be double-spaced, use standard margins (1″ top/bottom; 1.25″ right/left), and an 11 or 12-point standard font. Papers that do not follow proper formatting, have more than three (3) typos or major grammatical errors per page, or use internet websites as sources, will be graded down. 

The ideal position paper will combine: 

1) a concise summary of the thesis and other salient major points the author makes in her or his essay; 

2) your own critical reaction to these points and the way the author weaves them together into an argument or into an exhibition catalogue.

You will need to cite any specific works of art, texts, or other kinds of evidence that the author uses to make her or his points, as that is the basis of the claims that an author makes in presenting an argument. If the author does not present evidence, you need to note this fact and draw some conclusions from it. While you can quote your author, too many or lengthy quotations must be avoided. This paper is about your voice, and your ideas!

The point of this written assignment is that you process and think through the points the author is making; a position paper presents your critical thinking on a particular essay and not extensive quotations from the author, or from a secondary source. Please note: you will be graded down for drawing on secondary sources to discuss your essay

· Whenever possible, please use your own words for this assignment. Avoid verbatim or mechanical listing of quotations unless a specific quotation is especially useful.

· Be sure to address the following:

· What are the author’s argument and main points? What is the author trying to say about a particular subject? How does the author support his/her argument? What kind of evidence does he or she use – visual/stylistic analysis, textual/archival research, artist’s interviews, research from other published sources (historical, biographical etc)?

· Is the author’s argument convincing to you? Why? How does the author develop ideas to convince you? 

· Why do you think the author wrote the article? What can you deduce about the author of the article in terms of his/her background and training, methods, and philosophical approach to the subject of study? 

· Who is the intended audience for the article—art historians, critics, art collectors, museum specialists, students, or the general public? What leads you to deduce this?

· As you read each article, compare it with other relevant readings and themes from class. How does it relate to other critical issues/themes/discussions from class?

· Which ideas challenge your thinking? What did you get out of the article? Did a particular aspect of the reading capture your attention? Why? In other words, does it relate to your life and social practices or contrast with it? Or, does it do both?

· If an article was difficult to follow, indicate why. What element was confusing or difficult? Was the argument abstract or was there too much specialized language or jargon, for instance?

Citation: 

· When you quote your author, you must cite the source from which you are quoting (usually a book or an article) by using endnotes. Endnotes must follow proper and consistent Chicago Manual of Style form: if you are unfamiliar with the rules governing CMS footnotes/endnotes and bibliography, you might please consult the Chicago Style Citation Quick Guide: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. 

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· You can also find a summary of the CMS footnote style in Henry Sayre, Writing About Art, pp. 90-92. Online sources are not permitted on this assignment, unless they correspond to a scholarly print journal or a published book.