Formal Elements of Judith F. Baca's La Memoria de Nuestra Tierra

For Short Essay #2, analyze the formal elements of Judith F. Baca's La Memoriade NuestraTierra and Jacob Lawrence's Barber Shop (which is in the textbook).
How does each artist use the principles of design to create a successful composition that explores themes of cultural identity? For instance, how do principles like balance, repetition, emphasis, etc. convey a message of cultural identity?
Which painting do you feel has the most successful composition and why?
Use the elements and principles of design vocabulary in your response.
Cite your research sources in a proper bibliography.
Connecting Form & Content Guidelines:
Prepare a brief essay (approximately 350 words) that addresses each point raised in the introduction above.
Your essay should analyze how the form (the principles of design and the formal elements of art) helps convey content (meaning). Demonstrate your understanding of the vocabulary we are learning in class.
Additional research is required to answer the question. Search for additional information in the course text and online. Remember, Wikipedia is not always a reliable source! Anyone can post things online - you want to make sure you find a source that knows what they are talking about.
Be sure to provide your sources for this additional information in a bibliography in Chicago or MLA format. A bibliography is required.
Spelling and grammar are important, proof read before posting.
Please read Notes on Essay Writing From the Instructor before writing your essay.
Please review the Essay Grading Rubric before writing your essay.
Notes on Essay Writing From the Instructor-4
(This information is also posted in the "Grading Rubrics and Other Helpful Information" module.)
Your essays should be a balance of research and opinion. The primary goal of your essays is to illustrate that you:
read the course material
understood the course material
thought a little more about the course material and conducted some outside research
To earn an A on your essay you should read the text and lecture thoroughly. Make sure that you completely understand the vocabulary and concepts and then use them in your writing. Your main goal in the essays is to illustrate your understanding of the concepts covered in class. You are demonstrating that you have the ability to use these vocabulary terms in a formal analysis of a work of art.
Continue to think about the question posed. What do you have to add to this topic that wasn't included in the text? Can you demonstrate some independent thought (i.e. your educated opinion about the work)? Do some outside research on the web and/or in the library to find at least one additional source. Can you find someone else who will back up your opinion? This level of engagement in required for an A in the course.
Including a thesis statement and brief conclusion will also improve the overall clarity of your writing. Your thesis should specifically mention your key points in your argument. Saying that the pieces have similarities and differences is not a strong thesis. Be specific. Make strong, direct statements. Try to avoid using "I" in your writing. Don't tell the reader what you're going to do in the essay, just do it. Dividing your argument into separate paragraphs is strongly encouraged. Create topic sentences that support your thesis.
Here are some thoughts on structure to get you started:
Begin your compare and contrast essay with an introduction. Introduce both works of art and create a specific thesis statement that summarizes the key similarities and differences between the two works of art. Try to directly address the questions posed in the assignment in your thesis. Avoid making statements that you don't go on to prove in your essay. Saying that two works of art have many similarities and differences is not a strong thesis. Tell me what they are.
Follow up your introduction with supporting paragraphs that relate back to the thesis statement. Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence that summarizes the key points you will make in that paragraph. Back up your opinions with information from the course text and outside sources. Using a few quotes from sources throughout your paper will help to further support your ideas.
Directly compare and contrast the two works of art in your essay. This means creating sentences that actually compare the two works of art. Try to avoid summarizing each work of art without ever actually comparing the two! The idea here is to analyze each work of art and then compare them to draw your own conclusions about their similarities and differences. Create a conclusion that reiterates your key points and draws a conclusion about what you've written in your essay.
You are required to include a bibliography with your essay. A bibliography is a list of all the materials you have consulted in writing your paper. Please note, this is different than a works cited page. A works cited page includes only the materials you cite in your paper. You are only required to include a bibliography for your essay. If you quote a specific source, be sure to mention specifically where it came from in the body of your paper. Please format your bibliography in MLA or Chicago format. Here is a link to the Purdue OWL guide to MLA formatting for electronic sources (Links to an external site.). Be sure to include our course text in your bibliography if you used it to write your paper. You are strongly encouraged to consult multiple sources in writing your essay.
Research is a large component of your score. You can consult the essay rubric located in the “Grading Rubrics and Other Helpful Information” module to see how the essays are scored.
Last but not least double-check your spelling and grammar. The MCC writing center is an excellent resource for further help with your essay assignments. (https://mccneb(dot)edu/Prospective-Students/Student-Tools-Resources/Writing-Center/Consultations.aspxLinks to an external site.)