Summer task 

What is the comparative study?

The Comparative Study (CS) is an independent investigation that explores artworks from different times in history and different parts of the world. The CS is one of the 3 assessed components in the IB course and constitutes 20% of the final mark. It is basically an in-depth investigation into three specific artworks looking closely at the function and purpose, cultural context and formal qualities of the piece. 

*For HL students, these three artworks will also need to serve as inspiration for the artwork you make in the course and select for exhibition.  Part of the CS will be dedicated to you showing and explaining how each artwork contributed to your imagery selection, use of the media, curation and/or conceptual ideas. 

Formal Requirements:

• You must select a minimum of three artworks by at least two different artists.

• The artworks should come from different cultural or historical contexts

• The artworks can be in any art media

1. Pick a specific artist and then one artwork by that artist that is of particular interest to you.  *Take many  pictures of the work when you see it in person, including one of you in it to show scale. 

2. Write down the elements and principles you see at play in the work (formal organization). Identify the composition strategies used. 

3. Find out everything you can about why the artist created the piece at that point in their life. The comparative study focuses on the details of only that artwork, not of others that the artist made during in their lifetime so only information about the specific piece you selected is relevant to this task. 

4. Find out what was going on in the world that influenced this artist in this piece (this could be political, social, economic, personal etc). 

5. Find out more about the art movement this piece belong to.

6. Find out the artists’ intentions or purpose for making that specific work.

7. Take pictures/ notes from the provided exhibition texts, or any other written material you find in the gallery or museum. Consider even buying a book or catalog.  Collect any handouts or flyers available.

8. Do visual note-taking: sketches, photos, documentation of the work. If you sketch the piece, you can use your sketch in the comparative study task. The IB LOVES seeing students taking the time to sit and carefully observe a piece in the form of a sketch. Consider how the gallery or museum has chosen to curate the work: consider the natural or artificial light, framing, height, proximity to other artworks, audience interaction and what is featured beside it (is it part of a thematic show, artist retrospective, permanent collection etc.)

9. Document the whole show/exhibition including the curators notes at the beginning that explain the theme or purpose for the exhibition. 

10. If the situation allows it, talk to the artist, curator, gallery owner, this could be a valuable primary source.