Art Theory and Criticism: Writing about Art

The Western Libraries Art Theory and Criticism: Writing about Art

Adams, Laurie. The Methodologies of Art: An Introduction. New York: Icon Editions. 1996.

N7480.A32 1996

Art History and Its Methods: A Critical Anthology. London: Phaidon Press, 1995.

N85.F475 1995

Atkins, Robert. Artspeak; A Guide to Contemporary Ideas, Movements, and Buzzwords. New York: Abbeville Press Publishers, 1990.

Ref. N6490.A87 1990

Baldwin, Gordon. Looking at Photographs: A Guide to Technical Terms. Malibu, CA.: J. Paul Getty Museum in association with the British Museum. 1991.

Ref. TR9.B35 1991

Barnet, Sylvan. A Short Guide to Writing About Art. New York: Longman

A brief guide to writing papers on art from a one page analysis to twenty page research papers. There are illustrations and a wide range of examples showing critical approaches.

Ref. N7476.B37 2000

Brunette, Peter and David Wills, eds. Deconstruction and the Visual Arts: Art, Media, Architecture. NY. Cambridge UP., 1994.

N71.D43 1994

A series of essays by scholars of aesthetics, art history and criticism, film, television, and architecture modeled on the critical approaches of Jacque Derrida.

Bryson, Norman, Michael Ann Holly and Keith Moxey. Visual Theory: Painting and Interpretation. Harper Collins. 1991.

N7443.2.V57 1991

A book of lectures focusing on two major theories of visual representation. Position one states that representation is a matter of convention, not essence as defined by the historical convention. Position two defines representation as the essence of art based on perceptual and phenomenological assumptions.

Calo, Carole Gold. Writings About Art. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1994.

N7425.W85 1994

An anthology of readings on contemporary topics of interest to the student of art and art history. Topics covered are religion, patronage, politics, women, race, public art, and censorship.

-- -- . Viewpoints: Readings in Art History. Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice Hall, 2001.

N7425.V56 2001

Carrier, David. Artwriting. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press. 1987

N 7476.C37 1987

Explores the development of recent art criticism giving descriptions of historical narratives and theories of arts presence.

-- . -- . Principles of Art History Writing. University Park, PA.: Pennsylvania State UP. 1991.

N380.C37 1991

This book is divided as follows: Part 1 describes present-day art history, Part 2 the history of art history and Part 3 the revisionist art history theory.

Cheetham, Mark A. The Rhetoric of Purity: Essentialist Theory and the Advent of Abstract Painting. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1991. ND196.A2.C4 1991

A discussion on the historical, conceptual and theoretical relations between the advent of abstract painting in Europe and the notion of purity attends this innovation. Bibliography included.

Corris, Michael. ed. Conceptual Art: Theory, Myth, and Practice. New York : Cambridge University Press, 2004.
N6768.5.C63 C66 2004
"Conceptual art consisted of a loose collection of related practices that emerged worldwide during the 1960s and 1970s. This collection of essays offers readers a wealth of new research on the earliest international exhibitions of Conceptual art; new interpretations of some of its most important practitioners; and a reconsideration of the relationship between Conceptual art and the intellectual and social context of the 1960s and 1970s. Of special note are the contributions that focus on the explicitly social and political aspirations of this influential avant-garde artistic practice. "
Dunlap, Carol. The Culture Vulture: A Guide to Style, Period, and ism. Washington D.C.: Preservation Press, National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1994.

Ref. N7560.D86 1994

Everett, Sally, ed. Art Theory and Criticism: An Anthology of Formalist, Avant-garde, Contextualist, and Post-Modernist Thought. Jefferson, NC.: McFarland. 1991.

N71.A7475

Arranged chronologically, these essays which deal with the way art and culture interact in modern times.

Finn, David. How to Visit a Museum. New York: Abrams, 1985.

N410.F56 1985

Gandelman, Claude. Reading Pictures, Viewing Texts. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1991.

NX175.G36 1991

Gealt, Adelheid M. Looking At Art: A Visitor's Guide to Museum Collections. New York: R.R. Bowker, 1983.

N5200.G4 1983

Description: 609 p., 16 p. of plates: illustrations, some color.

Goldman, Paul. Looking at Prints, Drawings, and Watercolours: A Guide to Technical Terms. Malibu, CA.: J. Paul Getty Museum, 1988.

Ref. N33.G65 1988

Kuehni, Rolf G. Color: An Introduction To Practice and Principles. Hoboken : J. Wiley & Sons, 2004.
ND1488 .K82 2005
"This book provides a solid foundation to the fundamentals of color science. It contains thorough explanations of key technical concepts concerning light, human vision, and color perception phenomena, provides broad coverage of color order systems, examines color reproduction technologies and techniques, and offers a historical review of the development of color theory and art."
Lacy, Suzanne, ed. Mapping the Terrain: New Genre Public Art. Seattle: Bay Press. 1995 NX650.P6.M3 1995

An anthology of writings by artists and critics thinking about socially responsible public art.

Langer, Cassandra L. Feminist Art Criticism: An Annotated Bibliography. NY.: G.K. Hall. 1993. Ref. N72.F45.L36 1993

The bibliographic information of publications in feminist culture, art, theory, and criticism produced over the last hundred years include books, pamphlets, articles, periodicals, catalogs, reviews, newspapers, and unpublished manuscripts.

Lucie-Smith, Edward. The Thames and Hudson Dictionary of Art Terms. London. Thames & Hudson. 1984.

Ref. N33.L75 1984

Entries briefly define and explain terms from painting, sculpture, architecture, decorative arts and graphic arts. It includes cross references and illustrations.

McCoy, W. U. Performing and Visual Arts Writing & Reviewing. Lanham, Md.: University Press of America. 1992.

Ref. NX640.M37 1992

Presents a look at the profession of an arts writer and reviewer, writing techniques, and ways the writer views art.

Mosquera, Gerardo, ed. Beyond the Fantastic: Contemporary Art Criticism from Latin America. London: The Institute of International Visual Art; Cambridge, Mass. : The MIT Press, 1996.
N7485.L38 B49 1996

Parsons, Michael J. How We Understand Art: A Cognitive Developmental Account of Aesthetic Experience. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge UP, 1987.

N71.P29 1987

Presyniuk, Joann. Modern Arts Criticism. Detroit: Gale Research Inc. 1991. Ref. N40.M63 v.1-4

A biographical and critical guide to painters, sculptors, photographers, and architects from the beginning of the modern era to the present. Presents commentary on modern artists.

Reynolds, Kimberley. Illustrated Dictionary of Art Terms: A Handbook for the Artist and Art Lover. NY. P. Bedrick Books, 1984. Ref. N33.R49 1984

This book provides a simple guide to terms frequently encountered in books, articles, and catalogs on making or looking at works of art. Included are terms of styles, methods, materials, schools of art, abbreviations and some illustrations. It includes cross references and a brief bibliography.

Robertson, Jack. Twentieth-century artists on art: an index to writings, statements, and interviews by artists, architects, and designers. New York: G.K. Hall, 1996. 2nd ed.
Ref. NX456.R59 1996
Sayre, Henry M. Writing About Art. Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice Hall, 1999.

N7476.S29 1999

Scott, Susan C., ed. The Art of Interpreting. University Park, Penn.: Dept. of Art History, the Pennsylvania State University, 1995.

N7477.A78 1995

Smagula, Howard. Re-Visions: New Perspectives of Art Criticism. Engelwood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1991. N7475.R4 1991

This book of essays presents various ideologies to explain new methodologies of art criticism, e.g. psychoanalysis, feminism, and economics.

Soussloff, Catherine M. The Absolute Artists: The Historiography of a Concept. Minneapolis, Minn: University of Minnesota Press. 1997.

N71.S7 1997

Includes biographical information; background discussion of genre; the artist in history, etc.

Willaims, Robert. Art Theory: An Historical Introduction. Malden, MA : Blackwell, 2004.
N5300 .W647 2004
Wren, Linnea H., ed. Perspectives on Western Art. NY: Harper Collins, 1987-1994.

N5303.W74 1987 2 vols.

An anthology of literary documents and primary sources: visual and literary records of Western intellectual history: v. 1. Source documents and readings from the ancient Near East through the Middle Ages; v.2. from the Renaissance to the 1970’s.

Web Resources

Art History Resources on the Web

A meta-site arranged by time period.

Voice of the Shuttle: Art & Art History

A comprehensive metasite.

Return to Top

Return to Art Resources Homepage | WWU Department of Art | Western Libraries |