Lutyens and Modernism
For this semester’s research and writing assignment I would like you find a building by the English designer Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens that you admire (pronounced LUTCH-ens). This is an individual who I touched on only briefly in class and is someone I would like you to be more familiar with.
To start with, make sure you choose a building you like. I would say ‘love’ instead of ‘like’ but I know some of you do not necessarily care for the work of his period. But, even if you are not a fan of his work, you – as a designer – can always find something in his body of extraordinary work to admire. The building does not need to still exist.
The goal of this research paper is to familiarize yourself thoroughly with the building, describe it and then discuss how it fits into the larger context of Modernism. Here are some things the paper must contain:
- Images and drawings of the building including: a plan, sourced from your research, of at least the main floor; at least one elevation (preferably drawn by the designer) and preferably more; one original drawing by you of a selected interior view or exterior view based on a photograph; as many additional images of the building as are useful in your discussion. If the building you choose has no plan or elevation available, find another that does. This is not optional.[unique_solution]
- Who the building was designed for, information about that client and the building’s present status.
- Date of its creation.
- A description of the building’s main materials.
- Information about Lutyens.
You will note, I have asked you to prepare a drawing of the building or part of it. The reason for this is that by examining, looking and then drawing you become more familiar with your subject in a way that brings you closer to its creator. I expect this drawing to be printed in the body of the paper and to fill at least half a page. It should be done in pen/ink. You may choose to focus in on a particular aspect of the building that you want to emphasize or learn more about – an entry, a roofscape.
This is a research paper. You are expected to read what others have had to say about this subject building and about the designer’s place in the pantheon of English masters of design. Quotations are expected and should be used to illustrate your point of view or contrast with it. All of his buildings have been written about by others. Again, the goal here is to talk about how Lutyens’ work is part of Modernism or the road to Modernism.
The paper must also include the following:
- An introductory paragraph. This one single paragraph needs to state your topic and give some information about how you will approach it. I grade down papers that do not comply with this requirement.
- A discussion of your designer’s biographical information. It should not exceed half a page. Do not just copy this out of some source. Write your own synthesis of your research.
- The body of the paper. Be sure you cover when, where, how and what.
Remember that you must provide citations for all facts presented. Citations must be in MLA format.
- Illustrations, as many as you want, fully captioned and credited as to source. Papers that use illustrations without this will be graded down.
- A full concluding section, not just a pro-forma paragraph. A concluding section should be more personal. It might be more than one paragraph. It should be about what you might have learned writing this paper. It should touch on how your perception of this building might have changed, or how your perception of this designer might have grown. The final paragraph is not a summary of everything you just wrote. It is the place for what you think about what you have researched. It is a place for your opinion.
- A bibliography with at least five sources for your research.
An outline is due February 29th at midnight embedded in Canvas. Your outline needs to be in standard outline format and must include a couple of introductory sentences describing your proposed project. An outline does not have a conclusion. Please do not put one in. If you are not familiar with outline format, consult the MLA Handbook or talk to your friendly librarian. The outline should not exceed one page, not including illustrations. Please include an image of your subject.
JT and I will read the outlines but we will not be sending out comments on them. Outlines are an essential tool for writing and are for your own use. We will only comment on them if we feel you are on the wrong track.
The final paper is due midnight on April 1 embedded in Canvas.
Papers and citations should be formatted in accordance with MLA standards, which can be found in the Modern Language Association Handbook, of which the Library has many copies and, of course, it is available electronically. All sources must be from books or academic journals, either in print or on-line as well as University or Museum websites and sources such as ArtStor. Do not cite anything from Wikipedia or I will fail you automatically. It is not an acceptable scholarly source because it is not reliable. This does not mean that Wikipedia is bad. It is often a very handy place to start and has useful citations. The paper shall be 1,500 to 2,000 words, double spaced, 12 point type. DO NOT EXCEED THE WORD COUNT. Word count does not include the bibliography. The paper should have, on the top right corner, the following:
- Your name
- The name of the class
- The date
- The word count
Like last semester, give your paper a title and an attractive title page. This is required. We are visual people. This is not a science class, this is a design class. Put some thought into the layout of your paper. Provide page numbers. I repeat: all illustrations must have attribution. In other words, they must be captioned regarding their source.
The first time a designer, artist, craftsman or historical figure is mentioned in your paper their name must be followed, in parentheses, by their birth and death years. Provide a full bibliography of your source materials in accordance with MLA standards at the end of the paper. Please refer to the student manual for information on writing standards and avoiding plagiarism. Plagiarism is easy to detect, easy to prove and can lead to serious academic consequences beyond automatic failure of this class. I may seem an easy-going sort but plagiarism revolts me and I have failed a number of people for this.
I expect this paper to be well written, with no spelling errors, and with good grammar. If this last sentence causes you anxiety, then I cannot recommend strongly enough that you make multiple appointments at the NYSID Writing Center and do it now. There, you can improve your paper and learn a lot about the mysteries of the English language. (Do not wait until two weeks before the paper is due to make the appointment: there will not be any appointments left.)
Use any type face you like and select it with care.
There are five books on Lutyens in our library on reserve and many other sources both printed and on line that are available about him.