Writing About Art

by Sayre, Henry M.

• ISBN13: 9780130416148
• ISBN10: 0130416142
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-01-01
• Publisher: Prentice Hall

Summary

This straightforward guide prepares art lovers to describe, interpret, and write about works of art in meaningful and lasting terms. It provides an efficient step-by-step approach to writing--from choosing a work to write about, to essay organization, to research techniques, to footnote form, to preparing the final essay. Chapter topics include the process of writing about art, how to select works to write about, what to look for and how to describe what you see, where to look for help in understanding what you see, and a short guide to usage and style. For individuals who appreciate art and the written word.

Table of Contents

Illustrations	ix
Preface	xi
Acknowledgments	xiii
Introduction: The Process of Writing About Art	1	(5)
Writing About Art as a Process of Interpretation	6	(6)
The Test of Interpretation	12	(3)
Choosing Images: How to Select the Works of Art You Plan to Write About	15	(18)
Visiting Museums and Galleries	15	(7)
Choosing Works of Art to Write About: Some Questions of Taste	22	(2)
Writing Comparative Essays: Some Advantages	24	(3)
Choosing Works from ``The Museum Without Walls''	27	(3)
The Computer and ``The Museum Without Walls''	30	(1)
Summary	31	(2)
Using Visual Information: What to Look For and How to Describe What You See	33	(33)
Considering the Subject Matter of the Work	35	(3)
Describing the Formal Elements You Discover in the Work	38	(20)
Line	38	(2)
Shape and Space	40	(4)
Light and Dark	44	(2)
Color	46	(4)
Other Elements	50	(8)
Recognizing the Principles of Design	58	(5)
Rhythm and Repetition	58	(1)
Balance	59	(1)
Proportion	60	(1)
Scale	61	(1)
Unity and Variety	62	(1)
Considering Questions of Medium	63	(1)
Asking Yourself About the Work of Art: A Summary	63	(1)
Questions to Ask Before Writing About a Work of Art	64	(2)
Responding to The Verbal Frame: Where Else to Look for Help in Understanding What You See	66	(30)
Taking the Title and Label into Account	66	(4)
Considering Informational Labels Accompanying the Work	70	(2)
Consulting Artists' Statements and Exhibition Catalogs	72	(2)
Discovering Other Helpful Material in the Library and On-line	74	(7)
Research On-line	75	(2)
Using the Library Catalog and Databases	77	(3)
Using Art Dictionaries and Other Guides	80	(1)
Considering the Work's Historical and Cultural Context	81	(6)
Quoting and Documenting Your Sources	87	(9)
Learning the Art of Quoting	87	(1)
Acknowledging Your Sources	88	(1)
Choosing Your Footnote Style	89	(5)
Citing Internet Sources	94	(2)
Working With Words and Images: The Process of Writing About What You See	96	(28)
Gathering Together What You Know	96	(1)
Focusing Your Discussion	97	(14)
Brainstorming and Mapping	99
Using Description and Formal Analysis to Begin Writing	91	(13)
Using Prewriting as a Way to Begin	104	(4)
Online Writing	108	(3)
Creating a Finished Essay	111	(8)
Organizing a Comparative Essay	111	(3)
Developing a Thesis	114	(2)
Revising and Editing	116	(1)
Revision Checklist	117	(2)
Writing About Art: The Final Product	119	(5)
Appendix A Short Guide to Usage and Style: The Rules and Principles of Good Writing	124	(14)
Quick Reference	124	(1)
1. Possessive Apostrophes	125	(1)
2. Commas	125	(1)
3. Comma Splices	126	(1)
4. Run-on Sentences	127	(1)
5. That and Which	127	(1)
6. Titles	127	(1)
7. Foreign Phrases	128	(1)
8. Split Infinitives	128	(1)
9. Sentence Fragments	128	(1)
10. Colons	129	(1)
11. Semicolons	129	(1)
12. Dashes	130	(1)
13. Parentheses	130	(1)
14. Quotations	131	(1)
15. Ellipses	131	(1)
16. Dangling Modifiers	132	(1)
17. Subject-Verb Agreement	132	(1)
18. Pronoun Agreement	133	(1)
19. Pronouns and Gender Issues	133	(1)
20. Indefinite Antecedents (it and this)	134	(1)
21. Correlative Expressions	134	(1)
22. Verb Tense Consistency	135	(1)
23. Diction Consistency	135	(1)
24. Concrete and Specific Language	136	(1)
25. Frequently Misspelled Words	136	(2)
Notes	138	(3)
Index	141