Synopses & Reviews
EXPLORING ART offers a thematic and global approach to teaching art appreciation. It balances Western and non-Western approaches to art, unlike competing books, which concentrate much more on Western art, artists, and historical styles. This global approach acknowledges the diverse backgrounds of today's art students, and explores the similarities that unite culture, as well as difference or distinctions. In doing so, EXPLORING ART ultimately reveals the universality of the human impulse to create art, as well as the persistence of basic themes.
Review
"The text does an excellent job demonstrating that art is part of our everyday life and a relevant part of all human cultures past and present. The point that art is a key part of human existence and experience is powerfully communicated here. Getting students to think in these terms is, to my mind, the first step in making them more interested in art because it answers the student question, "why should we care?"
Synopsis
EXPLORING ART will help you make sense of the world you live in. The authors use examples of art from many cultures to discuss things as fun as entertainment, sport, and the media and as basic as food, nature, and even life and death.
Synopsis
EXPLORING ART uses art examples from around the world to discuss art in the context of religion, politics, family structure, sexuality, entertainment and visual culture.
About the Author
Margaret Lazzari is an art critic and writer whose books include Art and Design Fundamentals and The Practical Handbook for the Emerging Artist. An active artist, Margaret's drawings and paintings have been exhibited extensively throughout the United States. Dona Schlesier taught for 27 years at Divine Word College in Epworth, Iowa, where she is now Professor Emerita. Her drawings and multimedia have been exhibited nationally and internationally.
Table of Contents
"Discovering the similarities and differences among the ways human being express visually their understanding of their basic political, religious, and social values offers students opportunities to broaden their awareness and appreciation of their own culture as well as the life experiences of other people and cultures throughout the world.""This is the first art appreciation text for the postmodern world. The authors destroy the fallacy of a largely western canon and reveal the breadth, complexity, and beauty of art produced around the world. Likewise, they remove art from the walls and vitrines of the museum and go as far as a textbook can to put the objects back into their human contexts: in rituals, on bodies, in physical and social spaces.""This book really is on the right track.""I found the book engaging and interesting. I firmly believe that today?s student should be able to read and understand clearly presented material and that material should introduce new and challenging concepts and this text lives up to this standard.""EXPLORING ART presents intelligent explanations of the purposes and functions of art and how meaning can be derived from them."
"EXPLORING ART offers wonderful examples of themes and clearly explains the formal elements and principles as well as resources for learning more about art and using art in one?s life."
"EXPLORING ART contains a great range of information all while remaining exciting and well written with the audience in mind, allowing the reader to enjoy the content while stimulating critical thinking about it."