Understanding Visual Art Forms in Our World is specifically designed for the novice seeking an introduction to the visual arts, as well as current art-related issues. This text provides an opportunity for all to understand, enjoy and experience art. Art theory and history are presented in a straightforward and accessible manner. Well-known works of art from around the world and across time are organized thematically. Appendices include tips for writing about art, as well as directions for composing formal analyses and research papers.
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What Is Art? Composition: The Elements of Art and Principles of DesignThe Elements of Art
Line
Line and Movement: Jesús Raphael Soto
Shape and Mass
Space
Value, Light, and Color
Texture
Time and the Temporal Arts
The Principles of Design
Balance
Contrast, Emphasis, and Focal Points
Rhythm
Unity and Variety
Scale and Proportion
Writing about Art: Description
Writing about Art: Formal Analysis
Sample Formal Analysis of Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night
Expository Writing
Comparison Essay
Looking at and Interpreting Art
Looking at Art
Connoisseurship
Formalism
Formalism and Modernism
Iconography
Social or Cultural Analysis
Biographical Analysis
Psychoanalytical Interpretation
Feminist Analysis
Marxist Analysis
Gay and Lesbian Theory
Post-Colonial Analysis
You Are the Critic: Exhibition Review
Writer’s Workshop
The Writing Process
Basic Format for Academic Papers
How to Construct a Thesis Statement
Writing a Research Paper
Sample Citation Formats for the Chicago Manual of Style
Some Additional Tips for Writing about an Artifact
Advice for In-Class Writing or Essay Exams
Peer Critique Worksheet
Proofreading
Additional Advice for Non-Native English Speakers (ESL Students)
Endnotes
Kimberly
Anderson
Kimberly Anderson has taught art appreciation and art history courses at various community colleges in Baltimore, MD for the past fifteen years. In addition to college teaching, she also taught art and art history to grades K–8 for the Baltimore Catholic school system, and served as chairperson for the committee that created the visual arts curriculum for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Prior to this, she worked in the museum field in both Maryland and South Carolina. She received a BA from Columbia College, as well as an MA and a Graduate Certificate of Study in museum management from the University of South Carolina. Currently, she teaches a variety of art history courses at the Maryland Institute College of Art.
Jenny
Carson
Jenny Carson received a BFA from the University of Louisiana, and an MA in art history from the University of Massachusetts. She holds a PhD in art history from the City University of New York Graduate Center, where she wrote her dissertation on the art studio of Benjamin West. A specialist in American eighteenth century and nineteenth century art, she has most recently published on the eighteenth century artists’ use of optical aids. She is also a contributor to several museum collections’ catalogues. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor of art history at the Maryland Institute College of Art where she has taught for the last fifteen years.
