MediaArtTutorials

IARTS 3PE3

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Week 2 - Artist/collective selection and initial research

P1: Embodied Archival Entry · Groups of 3 students

Objective

Students will begin building the research foundation for their Embodied Archival Entry project by selecting an artist or collective from the provided list and gathering initial materials.

By the end of this session, students will have:

• Chosen their artist/collective.
• Created an annotated bibliography in APA format.
• Begun reading and noting key points from selected resources.

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Materials Required

• Digital or physical notebook for organizing citations and ideas
• Laptop or device for research
• Access to McMaster Library databases & Avenue to Learn

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Activities

Complete the following in order. Ask your professor for guidance if needed.

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[20 minutes] Select Artist/Collective

With your group, select one artist/collective from the provided list:

• Review the list together and discuss initial impressions.
• Choose someone whose work resonates with you personally, conceptually, or thematically.
• Each group must select an unclaimed artist/collective — confirm with the class list that no other group has chosen the same one.
• Open a shared document and answer the following under the “Artist/Collective” section:
  • Why did you choose this artist/collective?
  • How does their work connect to the course themes (body, identity, equity)?
  • What questions do you have about their background, artistic process, or themes?
  • Which aspects of their work do you want to learn more about during this project?

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[30 minutes] Gather Initial Sources

In the same shared document, collaborativelly create a section titled “Initial Research & Source Gathering”:

1. Define Your Research Angle

Each student should define one distinct research angle related to the chosen artist/collective.
Use these guiding questions to focus your angle:

• What is the artist’s/collective’s background?
• What influences shaped their work?
• What styles, techniques, and themes are prevalent in their practice?
• Are there interviews, statements, or talks where they discuss their work?

2. Identify and Skim Potential Sources

Each student should select different resources from their partners to maximize coverage. As a group, you must select six sources:

Two Academic Sources

• Use McMaster Library databases or Google Scholar.
• Search for scholarly articles, book chapters, or conference papers.
• Use targeted keywords (e.g., "artist name" AND body, "collective name" AND identity, "artist name" AND equity in art").

Four Public Sources
Look for reliable, publicly accessible media such as:

• News articles (e.g., CBC, Wired, The Guardian)
• Podcasts (e.g., Code Switch, Talk Art)
• TED Talks (via ted.com)
• Artist essays, Artist interviews, blogs, or reputable cultural commentary

Division of work
Divide these sources so each student is working with two of them.

Tips:

• At this stage, skim headlines, introductions, and section titles to assess relevance, not depth — detailed reading will happen later.
• Search in both English and any other languages you speak. Go beyond the first page of Google results to uncover less-visible but relevant materials.
• List all resources (no citation) on the group document.

➡️ Save as a PDF
📄 Filename: Group-#-P1-Notes.pdf

Include the full names and student numbers of both group members at the top.

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[30 minutes] Create Annotated Bibliography

Individually, create your annotated bibliography for the two sources you got.

What is an annotated bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is a list of references where each entry includes a brief descriptive and evaluative paragraph (annotation) that summarizes the source’s main ideas and explains its relevance to your research topic. It helps you organize your sources and assess their value for your project.

• Format all references in APA style
  → Refer to: APA Citation Guide
• Summarize each source in 3–5 sentences.
• In bullet points, highlight key aspects such as:
  • Main themes or arguments
  • Methodologies or approaches
  • Relevance to the artist/collective and course themes (body, identity, equity)

Example Entry (APA + Annotation)

Doe, J. (2022). Embodied archives: Memory, identity, and resistance in contemporary art. Art & Culture Journal, 14(2), 45–62. https://doi.org/10.1234/acj.2022.456

• Examines how contemporary artists use personal archives to address identity and systemic oppression.
• Analyzes case studies from Indigenous, queer, and migrant artists.
• Relevant to my project because it discusses curatorial strategies for framing personal and collective memory, which aligns with my chosen artist’s practice.

➡️ Save as a PDF
📄 Filename: Lastname-Firstname-AnnotBiblio.pdf

Include your full name and student number at the top.

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Before the Next Class

• Read your selected sources thoroughly.
• Highlight key arguments, case studies, or examples.
• Gather quotes, notes, or visuals that inspire you.

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📤 Submission

Type	File Name	Who Submits
Artist Selection & Initial Research	Group-#-P1-Notes.pdf	One per group
Annotated Bibliography (Individual)	Lastname-Firstname-AnnotBiblio.pdf	Each student

⚠️ Follow the submission protocols carefully. Incorrect submissions may result in lost points.

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