Connections to Contemporary Art and Culture
Choose a contemporary work of art or an image from popular culture that directly references
earlier work from one of the periods discussed in the course. Write a short (3–5 pages double
spaced) paper explaining the connection and why you think the creators chose to look back at the
specific work. You can choose a contemporary artist we looked at briefly, but do not choose a work
we talked about in class.
Be sure to include:
Introduction explaining the general topics you will discuss (1 paragraph)
Background on the image you selected (1–2 paragraphs)
Background on the works/period it refers to (2–3 paragraphs)
Formal analysis of selected image with specific comparisons to historic work/works (2–4
paragraphs)
Conclusion: Summary of connections and brief explanation of why you think the creators
chose to reference earlier art (1 paragraphs).
Note: This is not a research paper, but you should use academic sources to back up your explanation
of features of historic works/style (smarthistory is allowed). Cite your sources using the Chicago
Manual of Style (footnotes + bibliography).