Welcome
Welcome to your course guide for Art 315: Writing About Art. Here you will find links to resources and tips to use when doing art research. Use the tabs at the top to navigate through the sections.
Form & Process
Things to consider:
- What's the size, shape, and orientation of the artwork? Was this influenced by practical factors?
- Are there separate parts of the artwork, like in a diptych or triptych?
- Is the artwork meant for a specific location, or can it be displayed in different places?
- How does the size and format relate to its environment? Is it meant to be viewed from a specific angle or multiple angles?
- Are there any 3D elements, like carved pieces? How does this change when viewed from different angles?
- Are there many shapes or just a few repeated? How are shapes arranged in relation to each other and the frame?
- Are there interesting textures or surfaces in the artwork? How were these made?
- Is the space in the artwork shallow or deep? How is depth created?
- Is there an unusual viewpoint used? What's the effect?
- How does the artwork interact with real space?Is the emphasis on objects or the space around them? How does this affect the mood?
- What materials were used in the artwork and why? What techniques were used and how do they help convey ideas?
Vocabulary & Terms: Online Resources
- Getty Research Institute Art & Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) OnlineThe Art & Architecture Thesaurus ® (AAT), the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names ® (TGN), the Union List of Artist Names ® (ULAN), the Cultural Objects Name Authority ® (CONA), and the Iconography Authority ™(IA) are structured resources that can be used to improve access to information for art, architecture, and other material culture. The Getty Vocabularies are not simple 'value vocabularies'; they are unique knowledge bases in themselves. Through rich metadata and links, the Getty Vocabularies provide powerful conduits for knowledge creation, complex research, and discovery for digital art history and related disciplines.
- IFLA Multilingual Glossary for Art LibrariansPublished by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, this glossary covers specialized terms used by art historians in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Swedish, with a U.S. English index.
Reference Materials: Art Dictionaries
The Concise Dictionary of Art Terms by Call Number: Reference: N33 .C575 2010ISBN: 0199569924Publication Date: 2010
The Dictionary of Art by Call Number: Reference: N31 .D5 1996ISBN: 9781884446009Publication Date: 2003
Content & Context
Things to consider:
- Can the artwork be categorized within a known genre?
- Can you identify recognizable objects, places, or scenes?
- Are there people depicted, and what can we infer about them?
- Does the artwork tell a story or convey an action?
- Do key objects or images hold symbolic meaning or contribute to deeper themes?
- Can you find out when, where, and why the artwork was made and what it was meant for? How did these factors shape its creation?
- Where was it made, and how does this affect the artwork? Was it originally placed somewhere else?
- What events or environments influenced the work? How did they impact it?
- Does the artwork reflect a certain style, movement, or era? Has it been influenced by trends or ideologies?
- Can you compare it to other artworks or relate it to different fields?
- What biographical details about the artist are relevant?
- Is this piece part of a larger collection, and does it represent the artist's typical style?
Content & Context Reference Materials
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Allusions by Call Number: Reference: PN43 .W384 1999ISBN: 0877796289Publication Date: 1999
The Hutchinson Dictionary of Symbols in Art by Call Number: OnlineISBN: 1280731486Publication Date: 2007
Biographical Reference Materials
- The Dictionary of Art by Call Number: Reference: N31 .D5 1996ISBN: 9781884446009Publication Date: 2003
The Yale Dictionary of Art and Artists by Call Number: Reference: N33 .L353 2000ISBN: 0300087020Publication Date: 2000
Cataloging & Discovery Librarian
Mike Olson
Contact:
Cataloging & Discovery Librarian
Assistant Professor
113 Murphy Library
molson3@uwlax.edu
Assistant Professor
113 Murphy Library
molson3@uwlax.edu
608-785-8638
Website
Books about Art Research
Art, Research, Philosophy by Call Number: OnlineISBN: 9781317654810Publication Date: 20171. The theories that wedge art and knowledge apart -- 2. What is artistic research? -- 3. We need to talk about concepts -- 4. Writing as rupture and relation -- 5. Insights from the metaphorical dimension of making -- 6. Does 'art doctored' equal 'art neutered'? -- 7. Drawing with Merleau-Ponty : a study in the constellation of concepts -- 8. The aesthetics of research after the end of art.
Research for People Who Think They Would Rather Create by Call Number: NX280 .V57 2022ISBN: 9789493148437Publication Date: 2023"What is artistic research? What is a research document? How do these relate to the making process, invention, and creativity? What exactly is expected of me? If you have ever asked yourself any of these questions, then this book is for you. Research For People Who (Think They) Would Rather Create addresses all relevant aspects that need to be considered during a research and documentation process, such as: finding the right topic and approach; formulating your research question; working out your methods; choosing one or more suitable writing styles; and considering the possible roles of visual, virtual, auditory, embodied, and spatial materials. 'Research For People Who (Think They) Would Rather Create' shows a multitude of examples from the field of art and design--each of which illustrates one specific aspect of developing a thesis, essay, paper, research document, or however else it may be referred to in your own setting. You can read this book from cover to cover, or you can immediately flip to those subjects which you find most relevant at any given moment. Ultimately, Research For People Who (Think They) Would Rather Create is an invitation to contribute--quite literally, with your own projects, examples, and questions--since the ultimate goal is to help you develop your own research." -- Publisher's description
How to Make Art at the End of the World by ISBN: 9781478003724Publication Date: 2019In recent years, the rise of research-creation - a scholarly activity that considers art practices as research methods in their own right - has emerged from the organic convergences of the arts and interdisciplinary humanities, and it has been fostered by universities wishing to enhance their public profiles. In 'How to Make Art at the End of the World' Natalie Loveless draws on diverse perspectives-from feminist science studies to psychoanalytic theory, as well as her own experience advising undergraduate and graduate students-to argue for research-creation as both a means to produce innovative scholarship and a way to transform pedagogy and research within the contemporary neoliberal university. Championing experimental, artistically driven methods of teaching, researching, and publication, research-creation works to render daily life in the academy more pedagogically, politically, and affectively sustainable, as well as more responsive to issues of social and ecological justice.
