The Art of Understanding Art reveals to students and other readers new and meaningful ways of developing personal ideas and opinions about art and how to express them with confidence.
- Offers an inquiry—unique among introductory art texts—into the learning process of understanding and appreciating art
- Examines the multiple issues and processes essential to making, analyzing and evaluating art
- Uses cross-cultural examples to help readers develop comprehensive, yet personal, ways of looking at and thinking about art
- Includes an annotated glossary of the 'Art World', institutions and individuals that play a role in defining art as well as diagrams, textboxes callouts and other visual elements to highlight information and enhance learning
- Richly illustrated with over 40 images
- Suggests innovative class assignments and projects useful for developing lesson plans, and offers an online companion site for additional illustrations and information
Acknowledgments xiii
Why Should Art Matter to You ? A Message to Art Beginners xv
Introduction: What Is Art? xvi
Navigating the Book: A User’s Guide xxi
Why Is Art Made? The Purposes of Art: A Brief Overview from A to Z xxiv
The Anatomy of a Work of Art xxxii
Part One Making Art 1
1 Artists and Patrons 3
Artists and Creators 3
Originality, Authorship, Authenticity 4
Appropriations 8
Attributions and Studio Practices 9
Collaborations 11
Artists and Multiple Works 12
Artists and Artisans 12