The artifact I have chosen to represent communication competence a comparative analysis on Rafael and Durer, which I completed during the 8 week online summer term of 2024 for the final exam of ART 111- Art Appreciation.​ The ART 111 final exam required a comparative analysis on two influential art pieces of the Renaissance period. I chose to write my essay on Raffaello Sanzio (“Rafael”) and Albrecht Durer, looking at the historical, formal, and expressive features of The School of Thought and Knight, Death, and the Devil. The analysis begins with an account of their biographies, as well as their respective influences and significant works. It then moves to an analysis of the artists’ use of elements and principles of art design, contrasting the artists’ selection of palettes while noting their similar High Renaissance influences. After this, I compared the artists’ artistic styles and techniques. For example, I discussed linear perspective, used by Rafael in to create realistic depth, and compared the technique with Durer’s use of dramatic contrast. Lastly, I discussed Rafael and Durer’s respective significance in art history. I specifically discussed their contributions to the Italian and Northern Renaissance, as well as their lasting influences on more current art movements. My comparative analysis is very detailed and incorporates a wide range of contemporary art research. It displays my ability to research and communicate topics that I have no prior knowledge in or experience with.

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    To successfully complete this analysis, I set two important goals for myself. The first goal was to organize information to improve the flow and clarity of the essay.​ In order to fulfill this goal, I organized my essay into six main sections: introduction, historical analysis, elements and principles of design analysis, compare and contrast section, significance section, and conclusion. Creating this organizational structure was difficult, because no clear structure was prescribed. So, to properly organize this essay, I first considered the requirements of the essay. I identified four distinct requirements in the rubric, which were to provide a contextual understanding of the artists; analyze their respective use of elements and principles of design; compare and contrast their works; and analyze their lasting contribution to art. Therefore, I created a section to address each requirement and added an introduction and conclusion section to complete the essay. This organizational structure not only gave me confidence that my essay properly fulfilled the rubric requirements, but it also allows the reader to better trace the flow of the essay. Were I to mix sections, the text may have lacked coherence and been awkward to read. Therefore, by outlining my essay according to the rubric, I improved the clarity and flow of the essay, which demonstrates my communication competence.

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    My second goal was to explain each art concept clearly and show its relevance to the comparative analysis. To address this goal, I needed to first embark on a research journey to understand each art concept for myself, so that I could communicate each one to others. This taught me that an important cornerstone of communication competence is an in-depth understanding of the information you are communicating. Once I understood each concept, I had to consider how to communicate it clearly to my audience. I did this primarily by linking the art concepts to the artists’ respective influences and intentions. Since the audience already gained an understanding of how each artist was influenced and trained in the first section, it was natural to use this understanding to explain art concepts in more detail. For example, before I discussed humanist art techniques, I first introduced what humanist influences are, so that the audience had a better framework through which to understand the concepts. This framework also helped me establish the relevance of certain art concepts to the analysis, because the audience can see how a difference in art technique can be traced to a difference in culture, influence, and training.

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    Looking back, I have learned a significant amount about what it means to be a competent communicator. First, it means taking the time to properly understand the material I am communicating. This means conducting detailed research to properly understand the concepts I am attempting to communicate. Second, it means establishing connections between pieces of information to provide a framework for the audience to understand complicated concepts. Last, it means organizing my thoughts into a coherent report that flows logically. This is significant for several reasons. First, being able to communicate well in a professional setting will allow others to understand and weigh my ideas. Second, communicating competently in an academic setting will allow me to demonstrate my mastery of challenging concepts and coursework. Last, on a personal level, being an effective communicator helps me establish social relationships, express myself, and feel confident when talking to others.

 

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