In the area of visual elements and principles of design, I do wish they went more into depth. While there could be an argument for some readjustment of chapter ordering, it progresses in a thoughtful format. In … And although there are numerous sub-divisions in this chapter it is still reads as large blocks of text. Also, more contemporary image... I usually remix the chapter order, based on what type/periods I am addressing in a course. There is a dearth of examples of contemporary art being made by artists in the last 20 years. Key concepts, key terms and a self-test are found at the end of each chapter. The "Key Concepts" and "Key Terms" sections after each chapter are very useful and would prove an effective study tool for students, as would the "Test Yourself" study questions. The text will provide students with a solid foundation in visual literacy using historical artworks as examples. An instructor would need to bring in additional examples to strengthen student understanding. The language used, content presented, and organizational themes are consistent throughout the text. I found it helpful to teach chapter 5 & 6 first, to get students to think about the meaning in art as a way to get them interested. It presents information in an accessible manner and clearly defines most terms. This is palpably obvious even under the discussion 4.5.1 Cultural Style in Chapter 4. In the sections on mediums, the text does not always show examples. o This is a pdf text that can be downloaded to computer or tablet form the web. But which comprehensive survey book is?!) A broader cultural range of examples would be more helpful, however, this is something an instructor can easily amend within classroom lecture or discussion. Some problems with Italian language terminology are evident, such as "giornate.". I do think the first half of the book is a bit more clear than the second half. Each chapter ends with key concepts, vocabulary and good test questions as a review of the material. This textbook is a fairly comprehensive primer on art from the approach of purpose, materials, structure and meaning. This texts provides a comprehensive introduction to the world of Art and contains 11 chapters, thematically arranged, to give an overview for beginners to the subject. Any links taking students through also provided clear images, although these were sometimes rather small. It is difficult for the novice student to follow these disjointed chapters to a conclusion about what art really is. I would especially use the final chapters for my classes (such as Art and Power, Art and Ethics). Reviewed by Hilary Galián, Instructor, Portland Community College on 6/20/17, The text covers a broad survey of art including many art forms. Given the modular organization of sub-topics within chapters, the text could be efficiently updated, and it is easy to see how instructors could insert their own material into chapters. Having said that, the works used do not represent an obsolete view on art evaluation and instruction. Search Advanced Search. The text is comprehensive, providing an introduction to design concepts and terminology as well as an historical survey of (mostly Western-centric) ideas around the production and interpretation of art. There are a few typographical errors such as misspellings of memento mori on page 98, of Edgar Allan Poe on page 214, and of iconoclasm on page 246. It is strange that there is a chapter on Architecture alone as an art form. Though, the pricing of the books varies from store to store. Without an index it is difficult to gauge when and where readers will find specific content. Overall, a great source for students. The text does reference itself (i.e. For instance: This Open Textbook is a valuable addition to the canon of texts currently recommended as an introduction to art. Of necessity, the textbook provides links to works of art that are not reproducible in the textbook due to copyright issues. I do feel it would be a monumental task to adapt this book to my course, given the population I deal with in an introductory course on art history and culture. Reviewed by Samantha Moore, Adjunct Instructor, Art History, Northern Virginia Community College on 6/20/17, The text covers information listed in the table of contents adequately. The book does have a nice section that covers some of the controversies of art. And in the discussion of the Palette of Narmer on page 239 it states the image on the back of the palette shows Narmer with the crown of Lower Egypt, when in fact he displays both Upper and Lower Egypt’s symbols as he is “The Great Unifier”. New Books. It is particularly adept at addressing themes that weave together global works in many media from makers of many backgrounds, thereby questioning the entrenched and monolithic canon. Beyond this, I could imagine this formatting being confusing for students as words that were in bold indicated definitions and sometimes, but not always, were designated as Key Words at the end of each chapter. Although the text provides a detailed analysis of ancient, traditional, and modern visual art, it is notably deficient in its treatment of contemporary (post 1960s) art. It was a compatible text and I would recommend "Introduction to Art" for its culturally-sensitive and unbiased perspectives, especially if building a course about global approaches to art. read more. I could see this as a supplement to an introductory art history course as well. This is one of several instances in which the authors could engage more significantly and critically with histories of settler colonialism. The text is organized in a logical, but not historical manner. Discussions of early modern and modern art are already strong. The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. This seems like a decision driven by printing concerns (minimizing page count), but additional white space would improve readability. The content is current. Similarly, there are some inconsistencies in the “Test Yourself” questions, in which the corresponding information is missing. read more. As an artist and college instructor myself, I can easily follow all the information but my students would be challenged to absorb much of the technical aspects of the art presented as it jumps around in application from selfies and digital art to Renaissance to ancient works. More contemporary examples are needed in this text. The material is introductory which is positive in that it is very accessible to readers and thus would not be too intimidating to students new to this subject. Iʻve used this text for one semester so far, and plan to continue its usage. Apart from the in-depth discussion of concepts, techniques, and terminologies, the authors have included learning outcomes at the beginning of each chapter, exercises (review questions) at the end plus key terms to help users review and affirm the content of every chapter. Only School Books. There are a small number of typos and usages of uncommon words when more simple words would suffice that are confusing and obscure meaning. Who / what determines this "verdict"? As mentioned earlier, more examples of non-western art might be helpful. It addresses topics that may not be covered in other art texts as fully including a definition of art, the distinction between fine art and craft, art and identity and ethics in art . The chapter on architecture could have been condensed so much more and included in the mediums section. The text's treatment of anthropological and art historical detail is meticulous. o A teacher using this text would want to supplement the reading with practical studio experiences to give students a better understanding of some of the media and techniques presented in the book as well as an opportunity to practice the methods of analyzing artworks with more contemporary artworks. The text is organized thematically, but there is room for chronology to play a larger role, perhaps in individual topics/chapters or with an appendix that can trace back to image examples throughout the textbook. There is a significant lack of contemporary art discussed in this text. The supporting images are clear and high quality, allowing the reader to increase the size of the images without losing clarity. However, more information is needed for each image used, such as dates, materials, and dimensions. Students would be advised to read the chapter in advance of lectures / tutorials and to use this as a starting point for their research. The text follows a pattern of listing objectives, sectioning off each chapter, and following up with review concepts and terminology. The historical context and timeline of the works covered by the text are subsumed within the thematic organization. Only the one I mentioned previously. The text covers a broad survey of art including many art forms. The Amazon.in Books Store offers you millions of titles across categories like Children’s Books, Free eBooks, Audiobooks, Business & Economics, and Literature & Fiction. read more. This is a decent textbook for cherry-picking specific topics from, but all together it is not a great text to use as a tool for creating course structure. These aspects provide a solid... The text condenses the discussion on artistic mediums to half a chapter. No index is present or list of illustrations. It considers numerous ethical, philosophical, and thematic issues typically left out of traditional survey books. Reviewed by Mike Morelli, Director Entertainment Management, University of Montana - Missoula on 12/19/19, This book provides a nice broad survey of styles, periods, artists' and types of art. Reviewed by RADFORD THOMAS, Ph.D., PROFESSOR OF ART, VIRGINIA WESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE on 2/8/17, Content adequately covers the subjects it purports to include. read more, As other reviewers have noted, the text covers elements of design, rationale, context, and impact for and of making art. What is the difference between Art V Craft?) Consider Anasazi examples, such as Pueblo Pintado or Mesa Verde as part of early architecture. The pdf interface is very functional to use and easy to navigate and download. The contemporary art could easily be updated to keep this as a current and relevant text especially since links are used. It should also be included that appropriation is not universally accepted and is fought by several artists today. read more. This text is more inviting than other digital resources because of the visual design system in place. Terms used in each chapter are clearly defined in the text and in the chapter glossaries. Key concepts are reviewed in the chapter summaries and each chapter has a list of questions that can be used by the student to review the material as well as a glossary of key terms. Others are self-published online books, or course notes which are so thorough that they serve as an alternative to a conventional textbook. Each chapter starts with outcomes and an introduction. Read, borrow, and discover more than 3M books for free. However, Kukulcán is the name of the Yucatec Maya deity to which the main temple at Chichén Itzá is dedicated. In the text, there are conventional transliterations of artist’s names. Generally, students find such consistent organization reassuring and helpful. I also really like the ability to pull up supplementary images throughout the text by clicking on imbedded links, although I found several of them in need of updates. The choice of chapter topics and their flow is appropriate and student-centered. Worked great for me! The chapters on forms and materials support the study of art based on media. There is also a collection of 2.3 million modern eBooks that may be borrowed by anyone with a free archive.org account. The knowledge base of the textbook was effective overall with no art are. Pintado or Mesa Verde as part of early modern and modern examples in a combination. Eleven chapters in just under 300 pages, the only issue with 2! Ideas... read more between image and text ’ first exposure to the present factual information for! Omitted at times overly simplistic and rambling and repetitive Renee Garris, Adjunct,... 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