Art: Home

Identify and Develop a Topic

Selecting a research topic is much like deciding on a travel destination. Once you have narrowed your ideas to an interesting subject, write down a brief statement about this topic. For example: "Rock groups of the 60s, their popularity and major influence on the music industry."  Once the topic is selected, write down specific questions that you'll want to answer. The research process will drive your destination. Your original topic may develop into something entirely different. You may choose to follow an alternate path and go down a different road.

Find Background Information

After determining the topic, you can map out your route. You must identify the types of sources that will provide the information needed, then determine where to find these sources. Types of sources that should be considered include books, periodicals, the Internet, and other libraries (through interlibrary loan).

The key to finding books is the online library catalog called Discovery.  Search in Discovery by selecting a keyword that best describes your topic. You can also search by title, author, subject, or keyword. In addition to books, the catalog allows you to search for periodicals, government documents, audiovisual material, and Special Collections.   

 If you get lost during your sight-seeing trip, stop and ask directions. The following reference sources will be most useful to acquire quick answers to any questions you may have.

•  Begin with Encyclopedias, then to get off the main drag, use Subject Encyclopedias.

•  What does it mean?  Use a Dictionary.       

•  How much, how many?  Find Statistical Information.

•  Who?  Find Biographical Information.

•  How can I get in touch?  Use a Directory.

•  Where do I go from here?  Bibliographies.

Find Journal Articles

Periodicals include newspapers, magazines, and journals. They are published regularly, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly. Journals are periodicals containing articles written by experts in a particular field of study. If the researcher wrote the article, is it a primary source. If reporters write the article, such as in popular magazines, it is a secondary source. Typically, journal articles contain extensive bibliographies that lead to additional sources.

Journal List - If there is a specific journal that you are looking for, this will take you directly to McFarlin's holdings.

Discovery - If there is a specific article that you are looking for, you can search Summon with that article's title.

Database List - If you don't have a specific journal or article in mind, then McFarlin's databases will allow you to search multiple journals with a keyword.

Typical Writing Assignments

Art appreciation courses require significant writing. Assignments range from reports on exhibits to analysis of works of art either from the textbook or from local museums.

• Example of a report on an exhibit: 
  - Tour a required exhibition. Choose three different works in three different media. Discuss why you chose them, then identify their style and content and three elements/principles of design for each.
• Example of single object analysis:
  - Visit a museum or gallery and choose a single object. What message(s) or idea(s) do you believe the artist wanted to convey through his or her work? Support this idea through discussion of his or her use of lines, color, texture, shapes, etc.
• Example of a comparative analysis assignment:
  - Compare and contrast the images titled " The Death of Marat" by David and "Grainstack" by Monet. Use the following four elements for your analysis: types of shapes, color schemes, balance, symbolism.

Art and Understanding, which is a Communication Intensive course, requires the most writing. Assignments range from single object analysis, to comparative analysis, to research papers focused on single objects or structures. Assignments typically require historical analysis in addition to analysis of visual components.

• Example of single object analysis:
  - Visit a museum or gallery and choose a single object. What message(s) or idea(s) do you believe the artist wanted to convey through his or her work? Support this idea through discussion of his or her use of lines, color, texture, shapes, etc.
• Example of a comparative analysis assignment:
  - Compare and contrast the images titled "The Death of Marat" by David and "Grainstack" by Monet. Consider the use of elements such as space, line, color, and light. What message(s) or idea(s) do you believe the artist wanted to convey through his or her work? How do these relate to the ideals and artistic movements during the historical period in which each artwork was produced?
• Research paper assignments vary significantly based on the class, but all require substantial analysis of elements such as space, line, color and light, as well as significant analysis of the historical period and motivations of the artist.

Art History courses require substantial analytical writing in both essay exams and papers. These writings primarily ask that students position art within its historical context. The only way to know if an artistic concept is new is to place it within a historical context and connect it to that context.

• Example of single object analysis:
  - Visit a museum or gallery and choose a single object. What message(s) or idea(s) do you believe the artist wanted to convey through his or her work? Support this idea through discussion of his or her use of lines, color, texture, shapes, etc.
• Example of a comparative analysis assignment:
  - Compare and contrast the images titled "The Death of Marat" by David and "Grainstack" by Monet. Consider the use of elements such as space, line, color, and light. What message(s) or idea(s) do you believe the artist wanted to convey through his or her work? How do these relate to the ideals and artistic movements during the historical period in which each artwork was produced?

Art Studio courses require participants to analyze and respond to art and artistic processes and relate them to their own type of work and use of materials.