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Humanities 1301- Campbell

Researching the 'Build a Cultural Center' assignment

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Books- Appreciating/ Understanding Art

Artists on Art

Through a carefully curated selection of quotations, images and interviews, Artists on Art reveals what matters most to the masters. You'll discover how the giants of the different artistic genres developed their distinctive visual styles, the core ideas that underpin their practice and, most importantly, what art means to you.

Gateways to Art

Its modular structure, global perspective, and focus on visual analysis have quickly made Gateways to Art a popular choice for AP® Art History. With an unmatched illustration program, a wealth of tightly integrated digital resources, and an AP® Curriculum Planning and Pacing Guide, the new edition will make your course even more exciting and easy to plan. You will love our expanded coverage of contemporary art, new tools for cross-referencing between chapters, new videos, and the Interactive Instructor's Guide. AP® is a trademark registered and/or owned by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.

Sacred Texts Interpreted [2 Volumes]

Covering the major monotheistic religions--Christianity, Judaism, and Islam--as well as selected Eastern religions and Bahá'í, Zoroastrianism, and Mormonism, this cross-cultural book offers excerpts of sacred texts and interprets passages to enable a deeper understanding of these religious writings. Sacred Texts Interpreted: Religious Documents Explained gives readers the opportunity to examine--directly--the primary sources of different religions and to better understand these texts through expert commentary on selected passages. The interpretative material investigates the nature of sacred texts along with the relationship between sacred scripture and canon, and it explains why these sacred texts have enduring significance and influence. The author provides suggestions on how to read a sacred text before turning to the textual selections from 13 religious traditions arranged alphabetically, beginning with the Bahá'í religion and ending with Zoroastrianism. Each chapter is devoted to the primary textual sources of a particular religious tradition and is prefaced by an introduction to the literature that places it within its historical and cultural heritage. The emphasis for each religion is on its foundational scriptures that are often considered sacred by its adherents. Readers will gain a much greater appreciation of how powerful religious texts have always been across human culture and throughout millennia--and of how religious thought and ideology have shaped daily life, built civilizations, inspired art and literature, and incited wars and violence. Guides readers through some of the most important religious texts in world history, providing significant interpretative material to help students understand the history and ideas within these writings Discusses the nature of a sacred text and suggests ways of reading a sacred text to more fully appreciate its significance Provides insightful comments from the editor that accompany the selected texts, explaining the context of passages to enhance readers' comprehension

Playing to the Gallery

Grayson Perry's book will overturn everything you thought you knew about "art" Now Grayson Perry is a fully paid-up member of the art establishment, he wants to show that any of us can appreciate art (after all, there is a reason he's called this book Playing to the Gallery and not Sucking Up to the Academic Elite). This funny, personal journey through the art world answers the basic questions that might occur to us in an art gallery but that we're too embarrassed to ask. Questions such as: What is "good" or "bad" art--and does it even matter? Is art still capable of shocking us or have we seen it all before? And what happens if you place a piece of art in a rubbish dump?

In My View

Behind the closed door of the contemporary artist's studio is a hidden world of images - those artworks from the past that have inspired, animated, troubled or consoled the artists of today. In My View reveals that hidden world, providing an intimate look at the imaginations of more than seventy-five international artists, each of whom reflects on an artist who has inspired them or influenced their practice. This book proposes an entirely fresh way of looking at art, unmediated by historians or art critics, and seen instead directly through the eyes of the artists themselves. Arranged alphabetically by selecting artist, In My View features artwork from the fifteenth to the mid-twentieth century, often supplemented by images of work by the selecting contemporary artist. Some of the artist contributors provide unusual and individual reflections on familiar figures from art history - such as Rachel Whiteread on Piero della Francesca, Chuck Close on Johannes Vermeer, or Eija-Liisa Ahtila on Pablo Picasso - unearthing personal connections that the contemporary artists have with art from the past. Other contributors have selected lesser-known artists whose work has deeply moved them - from Francesco Clemente on Henry Fuseli to Tomma Abts on Ito Jakuchu - revealing private passions that are surprisingly strong. The stories told show the profound connections that exist between artists, variously setting the historical scene, suggesting novel interpretations, or speaking of the challenges, provocations and revelations that can be found when one artist looks closely at the work of another. The reflections are deeply personal, recalling childhood memories and life-changing moments, as well as capturing the pure joy and excitement that comes from encounters with art.

Great Paintings

A sumptuous, visual guided tour of sixty-six of the world's greatest paintings ranging from works by Zhang Zeduan, a twelfth-century Chinese master, to modern masterpieces by Rothko and Anselm Kiefer. Great Paintings is perfect for anyone interested in learning about the world's most noteworthy artworks. Arranged chronologically, the story behind each painting is fully explained and examined in unrivaled depth. Artists' biographies and features on historical and social context explore how landmark paintings have been influenced by what has gone before and how they go on to inspire what comes after them. Reading Great Paintings is like being taken around a gallery by a personal guide who helps you to look at paintings -- both familiar and new -- in fresh and fascinating ways.

Understanding Art Objects

What can an art object tell us about its meaning today and at its execution? Can we 'read' artifacts to find out why they were made and for whom? What do they reveal about their context and how has their value changed over the years? Understanding Art Objects presents thirteen essays written by teachers and consultants at Sotheby's Institute addressing these exact questions.

Discovering the Great Masters

Discover the secret symbols and meaning behind 62 featured paintings in this unique volume. Ranging from Giotto’s 14th-century painting of the Last Judgment to the 19th-century symbolist Gustave Moreau’s depiction of Jupiter and Semele, each work has been selected for its own symbolic enigma. This book’s innovative design pairs each painting with a page of die-cut windows that help the reader focus on specific aspects of each painting and features captions that highlight the most important symbols. Other works in this unique and fascinating book include Renaissance masterpieces such as Botticelli’s Primavera and The Birth of Venus, Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, and Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment.

How to Read a Painting

Clues to the meaning of many of the masterpieces of art history lie in a rich system of symbols, themes, and motifs that often eludes modern museum-goers. The intimate knowledge of Christian theology, Greek and Roman mythology, and folklore that was so vivid in the minds of viewers during the Renaissance is rarely part of the preparation the contemporary viewer brings to a painting. This insightful, anecdotal, portable book, with 1,000 gorgeous color illustrations, helps to fill in those gaps by decoding th imagery of more than 150 of the most influential and admired artworks of all time. Covering the works of the Italian, Netherlandish, German, and Spanish Old Masters, from 1450 to 1750, paintings by artists such as Giotto, Botticelli, El Greco, Bruegel, Holbein, Rubens, and Vermeer, all held in public collections, How to Read a Painting" not only helps the viewer to understand the significant details of a picture but also explains the relationship with similar imagery in other works. The guide to Old Master paintings that every art lover has always wanted, this indispensable museum companion will open the reader to a whole new experience of Western art's most praised and visited paintings.

Why a Painting Is Like a Pizza

The first time she made a pizza from scratch, art historian Nancy Heller made the observation that led her to write this entertaining guide to contemporary art. Comparing modern art not only to pizzas but also to traditional and children's art, Heller shows us how we can refine analytical tools we already possess to understand and enjoy even the most unfamiliar paintings and sculptures. How is a painting like a pizza? Both depend on visual balance for much of their overall appeal and, though both can be judged by a set of established standards, pizzas and paintings must ultimately be evaluated in terms of individual taste. By using such commonsense examples and making unexpected connections, this book helps even the most skeptical viewers feel comfortable around contemporary art and see aspects of it they would otherwise miss. Heller discusses how nontraditional works of art are made--and thus how to talk about their composition and formal elements. She also considers why such art is made and what it "means." At the same time, Heller reassures those of us who have felt uncomfortable around avant-garde art that we don't have to like all--or even any--of it. Yet, if we can relax, we can use the aesthetic awareness developed in everyday life to analyze almost any painting, sculpture, or installation. Heller also gives concise answers to the eight questions she is most frequently asked about contemporary art--from how to tell when an abstract painting is right side up to which works of art belong in a museum. This book is for anyone who agrees with art critic Clement Greenberg that "All profoundly original art looks ugly at first." It's also for anyone who disagrees. It is for anyone who wants to get more out of a museum or gallery visit and would like to be able to say something more than just "yes" or "no" when asked if they like an artist's work.