This is a minor research paper. No field study or museum visit is required for this paper. Its length should be 4-5 pages (1000-1250 words) and a minimum of 2 reputable, academic sources are required. Pick one of the two topics.
- Take one or more misconceptions about Africa art as discussed by Willet and/or Garlake and argue based on your more refined understanding now, write your critique of those misconceptions.
- Close Reading: Take one specific sculpture, rock painting, or architectural site from regions we have covered so far and do a formal analysis, cultural and historical analysis. I will post examples of formal analysis on Canvas.
- You need a strong thesis statement.
- You are required to include one or more images of the object in question.
- It is required that you also use at least two outside academic sources to substantiate your argument, maybe more.
- It is a mini-research paper, make sure that you follow either the Chicago or MLA guidelines for citation.
- Any long (more than two or three sentences) biography or geographical description of where the artwork was made will downgrade your paper. Spend valuable space to analyze the artwork and talk about its context in relation to the formal qualities of the work. Remember that this is not a biography of the artist or a Wikipedia-type history of the region but rather one that describes the object and its cultural context.

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