Writing a Reflective Essay as an Art Coursework
Tuesday, December 8th, 2009Thomas Stearns Eliot’s famous theory of objective co-relative stands appropriate for the varied mediums art provides for the expression of a state of being: “the only way of expressing emotion in the form of art is by finding an ‘objective correlative’; in other words, a set of objects, a situation, a chain of events which shall be the formula for that particular emotion; such that when the external facts, which must terminate in a sensory experience, are given, the emotion is immediately evoked.”
An art coursework may vary considerably, from a practical presentation of a sample work to writing an exposition or a reflection of what one has learned in the course of his/her study. The arts is a broad academic branch of study which includes fine arts like painting, sculpturing, or visual arts like photography, cinema or theater/drama, or theoretical ones like literature.
A coursework presented on any of these streams can be a sample of your work followed by writing a reflection essay which outlines author’s vision and creative process while compiling a work of art, or it could be writing a descriptive essay where the student has to evaluate and analyse a piece of art, followed by presenting one’s own sample of the work. Another common form of essay assignment in arts is exploring a theme via different mediums.
When writing a reflective essay as an art coursework, you may choose to delve upon the following aspects to make your essay original and interesting.
Inspiration from which the work is derived: When writing about your own work, you must stress on the inspiration through which it was derived. Your inspiration could be a similar work by a writer or a painter you studied for your assignment, or a real life incident. Keep the tone of your writing informal when narrating about the inspiration of your work. This will make your paper interesting and original.
Creative process: Every work of art has a life of its own. There are stages trough which a work originates and evolves, taking a final shape. The creative process is one of the most enigmatic of exercises, and every art consumer has a curiosity to know the background of the art he/she appreciates. It also helps the reader identify with the work and appreciate it in a new light.
Context and understanding of the work: Writing a reflective essay gives the artist an opportunity to share and communicate his vision to the consumers. The artist’s or author’s understanding and explanation of the work of art also sheds light on the work, making it easy for readers to understand its context and origins, and appreciate better.
Universal application and its contribution: Every work of art is complete in itself, yet contributes to the whole panorama of existing art. It is unique as it offers artist’s vision of the world. By writing a reflection of the composition of the work, the artist can illustrate how his work has a universal application and contribution.
A good essay on an art coursework will have a personal expression turned into universal emotions.
