The Comparative Study is an independent critical and contextual investigation that explores artworks, objects and artifacts from differing cultural contexts. The CS is not an extended essay: it is an investigative comparison that should strike a balance between visual and written content.
Requirements
The pages (screens) submitted examine and compare at least 3 artworks at least two which need to be by different artists.
The work selected for comparison should come from contrasting contexts (local, national, international and/or intercultural)
Sources should be acknowledged
SL: 10-15 pages (screens)
HL: 10-15 pages (screens) + 3-5 pages (screens) which analyze the extent to which their work has been influenced by the art and artists examined.
The CS will be assessed externally and count for 20% of your final grade There is no prescribed format! The number of pages actually refers to the number of screens because this will be presented and viewed on a computer screen, bear this in mind and present accordingly!
Making connections through both FORM and MEANING. You can compare anything, but it will only have convincing strength if there is solid ground for comparison, both formally and conceptually.
Comparisons do not need to be as directly referential as the Jeff Wall - Hokusai comparison above, but it is helpful to have some commonalities. The role of the visual journal in the CS The visual journal collects and contains all the students visual and written experimentations and investigations.
Use your visual journal to specifically record the CS research and responses to each piece.
Include detailed interpretations, evaluations and comparisons
Select and adapt from these pages for the CS
The CS can be used to enhance your understanding of art and help to give context to your own work. (HL) Getting Started It's great if you would have the opportunity to go and see one of your selected works yourself. An exhibition that you might have visited can be an excellent starting point for your CS. It is important that you start of with a piece that excites you.
Some helpful resources for finding artworks using reliable thematic search engines