The Art of Understanding Art: A Behind the Scenes Story

The Art of Understanding Art......Page 5
Contents......Page 9
Acknowledgments......Page 15
Why Should Art Matter to You? A Message to Art Beginners......Page 17
Introduction: What Is Art?......Page 18
Navigating the Book: A User’s Guide......Page 23
Why Is Art Made? The Purposes of Art: A Brief Overview from A to Z......Page 26
The Anatomy of a Work of Art......Page 34
Part One: Making Art......Page 35
Artists and Creators......Page 37
Originality, Authorship, Authenticity......Page 38
Appropriations......Page 42
Attributions and Studio Practices......Page 43
Collaborations......Page 45
Artists and Artisans......Page 46
Anonymous Artists......Page 47
Self-Reflections......Page 48
The Formative Years: Education, Family Life, and Personal Values......Page 49
Private Patronage......Page 51
Religious Patronage......Page 52
State, City, and Community Patronage......Page 53
Today’s Patronage: Corporations, Institutions, Foundations, and Grants......Page 54
Notes......Page 55
2: Environment, Materials, and Other Resources......Page 56
Natural Resources......Page 57
Climate......Page 58
Dialogues between the Environment and Art......Page 59
Materials and Artistic Values......Page 61
The Attributes of Materials......Page 62
 Materials as Sources for Meaning......Page 63
“Unusual” Art Materials......Page 65
The Body as Art Material......Page 66
Tools and Technology......Page 68
Other Resources: Knowledge and Information......Page 70
Notes......Page 71
3: Context......Page 72
Artistic Context......Page 73
Art Organizations, Institutions, and Events......Page 74
Culture, Science, and Ideas......Page 75
Historical Context and Current Events......Page 77
Political Context......Page 78
Religious Context......Page 81
Societal Context......Page 82
The Mass Media......Page 83
Moral Values......Page 84
Social Context......Page 85
Notes......Page 86
Conclusion to Part One......Page 87
Part Two: Disseminating Art......Page 89
Museums......Page 91
Collections and Foundations......Page 101
Galleries......Page 102
Academic-Affiliated Art Institutions......Page 104
Public Art......Page 105
Propaganda Art......Page 106
The Art Market and other Financial Matters......Page 107
Art Patrons, Collectors, Dealers, and Sponsors......Page 108
Artists and Business......Page 109
Notes......Page 110
Publications, Presentations, and Lectures......Page 111
Books, Catalogues, and Periodicals (Articles, Essays, and Reviews)......Page 112
Lectures, Courses, and Presentations......Page 113
Films, Documentaries, and DVDs......Page 114
The Web......Page 116
Art and Popular Culture......Page 118
Today’s Art World......Page 120
The Decontextualization of Art......Page 121
Original Context and Contemporary Times......Page 122
Summary......Page 123
Conclusion to Part Two......Page 124
Part Three: Analyzing Art......Page 125
6: Visual Resources Used to Analyze Art......Page 127
Form and Content......Page 128
The Physical Condition of the Work of Art......Page 132
Originals and Reproductions......Page 134
The Preservation and Conservation of Art......Page 135
Visual Documentation and Research......Page 137
Artistic and Visual Context of the Time......Page 138
New Art/Archaeological Discoveries......Page 139
Symbols in Art......Page 140
Summary......Page 141
Notes......Page 142
7: Textual and Other Resources Used to Analyze Art......Page 143
Archival Material......Page 144
Artists’ Letters, Notes, and Statements......Page 145
Secondary Textual Sources......Page 148
Original Context and History......Page 149
Today’s Art History, Criticism, and Context......Page 150
Online and Other Sources......Page 151
“Conventional” Art Comparisons......Page 153
Cross-Chronological and Cross-Cultural Comparisons......Page 157
Visual Culture and Interdisciplinary Comparisons......Page 158
Notes......Page 159
Identifying the Category of “Art”......Page 160
The Roots of Art Classification......Page 163
Chronology and Artistic Periods......Page 164
Fine Art/High Art......Page 166
Painting, Drawings, Prints, and Sculptures......Page 167
Mixed Media......Page 168
New Media......Page 169
Multimedia......Page 170
“Minor Arts”......Page 171
Architecture......Page 172
“Low” Art and Popular Culture......Page 173
“Outsider” Art......Page 174
Visual and Material Culture......Page 175
Conclusion to Part Three......Page 176
Part Four: Interpreting Art......Page 177
9: Interpreting Art Criteria and Values......Page 179
Preconceived Ideas about Art......Page 180
Modern Art and the Audience......Page 182
Artistic Values and Art Appreciation......Page 184
The Avant-Garde......Page 186
Modernism and Global Traditions......Page 187
System of Values......Page 188
Multiculturalism......Page 189
System of Values......Page 190
Understanding Images......Page 191
Looking at and Interpreting Art......Page 192
Notes......Page 195
10: Methodologies of Art......Page 196
Biography/Autobiography......Page 197
Connoisseurship......Page 198
Context......Page 199
Deconstruction......Page 200
Formalism and Style......Page 201
Gender......Page 202
Multiculturalism......Page 203
Psychoanalysis......Page 204
Semiotics......Page 205
Visual Culture......Page 206
Art Interpretation: Case Study......Page 207
Notes......Page 213
Conclusion......Page 214
Appendix 1: The Art World......Page 216
Appendix 2: Creative Assignments and Writing Projects......Page 223
Appendix 3: Glossary......Page 228
Appendix 4: “tools of the trade” Diagram: Form and Content (1-5) and  Art Media (6-8)......Page 244
List of Figures and Color Plates......Page 252
Bibliography......Page 254
Index......Page 261