Understanding Visual Artforms in Our World

New Third Edition Now Available! Art. What is Art? Where is it? Who makes it? Why is it created? By analyzing art forms throughout history created from both traditional and nontraditional media from around the world, the authors attempt to explore these complicated questions. Understanding Visual Artforms in Our World is designed for the novice who seeks an introduction to the visual arts and current art-related issues. It provides an opportunity for all to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for art. Understanding Visual Artforms in Our World by Kimberly Anderson and Jenny Carson: * Includes basic vocabulary, simple explanations of fundamental concepts, as well as descriptions and diagrams of materials, processes and techniques. * Presents art history and theory in a straightforward and accessible manner. * Is organized thematically and includes maps, tips for writing about art, as well as directions for composing formal analyses and research papers.

Table of Contents:
Contributing Artists and Authors About the Authors Acknowledgments The Basics Chapter One: Defining Art Art Expanding the Definition Defining Art in the Twenty-First Century Aesthetics: Beauty and Ugliness I Don't Know Much about Art, but I Know What I Like Kitsch: Trash or Treasure? Endnotes Chapter Two: Composition The Elements of Art Line Shape and Mass Light, Value, and Color Space Texture Motion, Time, and the Temporal Arts The Principles of Design Balance Contrast, Emphasis, and Focal Points Rhythm Unity and Variety Scale and Proportion Endnotes Chapter Three: Style Artistic Approaches to Representation Naturalism Idealism Stylization Abstraction Style in Context Cultural and Period Style Regional Style Group Style and Personal Style Style and Cultural Convergence Art Nouveau Endnotes Chapter Four: Two-Dimensional Artforms: Materials, Media, and Processes Drawing Drawing Media Drawing Today Painting Traditional Painting Techniques Encaustic Fresco Tempera Oil Watercolor Acrylic Printmaking Relief Intaglio Lithography Screenprinting Collage Fiber Arts Photography Uses for Photography Photography and "Reality" Photography as Art Film Sound and Color in Film Film as Art Animation Indian Cinema Endnotes Chapter Five: New Media (Technology-Based Artforms) Introduction The Pioneer Era 1950s 1960s 1970s The Paintbox Era 1980s The Multimedia Era 1990s The Modern Era 2000s 2010s New Media Art and the Future Endnotes Chapter Six: Three-Dimensional Artforms Sculpture Subtractive Processes Additive Processes Kinetic Sculpture Mosaics Conceptual Art Earthworks and Eco Art Performance Art Installation Art Endnotes Chapter Seven: Architecture Architectural Styles Structural Systems Load Bearing Post and Lintel Arch, Vault, and Dome Cast and Wrought Iron Steel Frame Construction Reinforced Concrete Trestle, Suspension, and Cable-Stayed Systems The Geodesic Dome Green Architecture Endnotes Chapter Eight: Looking at and Interpreting Art Looking at Art: Formal Approaches Connoisseurship Formalism Formalism and Modernism The Formal Analysis Biographical Analysis Iconography Social and Cultural Analysis Psychoanalytic Interpretation Feminist Analysis Marxist Analysis Gay and Lesbian Criticism and Queer Theory Postcolonial Analysis Endnotes Chapter Nine: A Brief History of the Role of the Artist in Society The Artist as Spiritual Medium The Artist as Craftsperson The Artist as Divinely Inspired Genius Women in Renaissance Art The Artist as Scholar The Artist as Scientist and Engineer The Tragic Genius Outsider Art Folk Art Naive Art Visionary Art More Outside than Outside The Modern Artist The Artist as Activist Endnotes Categories and Themes in Art Chapter Ten: The Body The Supernatural Oceania: Sepik and Maori Art Christianity and the Body The Nude The Nude in India The Classical Nude The Nude in the Modern Era The Body and the Ideal The Legacy of Ancient Greece Challenging the Ideal Portraiture Portraiture and Power Traditions of Portraiture Self-Portraiture The Body as Medium Endnotes Chapter Eleven: Nature and the Environment Flora and Fauna Landscapes Landscape Painting as an Emerging Genre in Europe Landscape Painting in Asia Rural Landscapes Riverscapes and Seascapes Cityscapes The Real and the Ethereal The Expressive Landscape Exotic Locales The Artist and the Environment The Artist's Garden Earthworks and Land Art Eco Art The Earth as Medium Sometimes It Takes a Village: Burning Man Endnotes Chapter Twelve: Religion and Spirituality in Art Holy Places and the Order of the Cosmos Prehistory and the Ancient World Hinduism and Buddhism Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Pre-Columbian Civilizations Transcendentalism and Mysticism Divine Images and the Life of the Gods Human or Divine? Cult Statues and Religious Narratives in the Ancient World Sacred Images in Hindu and Buddhist Art Sacred Images in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Spiritual Images in the Modern World The Art of Death and the Spiritual Life Grave Goods and Ancestor Cults Memory and Transcendence Art and Religious Practice Endnotes The Art World: Buying, Selling, Collecting, and Exhibiting Chapter Thirteen: Patronage The Traditions of Art Patronage The Ancient World: Patronage and Power Patronage and Religion Private Patronage The Ancient World The Renaissance Middle Class Patronage Exhibitions The Salon Art Galleries Institutional Patronage Government Agencies Corporate Patronage Nonprofit Foundations Endnotes Chapter Fourteen: The Institution Introduction The Museum World's Fairs and the Museum The Continuing Development of the Museum Benefits of Museums: Preservation, Conservation, and Restoration Art Looting The Benin Kingdom Nazi Germany Looting in Iraq Parthenon Marbles Censorship Endnotes Appendix I: Maps Appendix II : Glossary Appendix III : Workbook Bibliography Index