College Students or Art Historians?

  [Group # 10, Chelsy Librado, Araceli Mancilla, and Andrew-Lara Kane, Total Word Count: 2613 ] Bibliography Stokstad, Marilyn, and Cothren Michael. Art a Brief History . Pearson, 2016. Preface (Stokstad IX) Content (Stokstad, XV) Tunic  From Peru, Inca, c.1500 CE. Camelid fiber and cotton, 35 7/8'' X 30'' (91X76.5 cm). Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, Washington, D.C.  (Stokstad,  416)  Imogen Cunningham Two Callas 1929. Gelatin-silver print, 12” X 9 1 2 (30.4 X 24.1 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York (Stokstad, 3) Virgin and Child From the abbey church of Saint-Denis c. 1324-1339. Silver gift and enamel, height 27 1 8 '' (69 cm). Musee du Louvre, Paris. (Stokstad, 276) The Goddess Coatlicue Mexico, Aztec, c. 1500 CE. Basalt, height 8' 6" (2.65 m). Museo Nacional de Antropologia, Mexico City. (Stokstad, 412) Lecture from October 27, 2020 “‘The West and The Rest: Discourse and Power.’” Essential Essays, Volume 2: Identity and Diaspo...

 Conclusion We discovered that although art is stated one way, everyone will always have the right to interpret art in their own way. We acknowledge that art: a brief history has brought useful information to those with little to no knowledge about art, however, we can determine that there can always be room for some adjustments. The overall experience of the textbook has been an eye-opening experience and emotional rollercoaster not only to us readers but also to aspiring artists.

  What Should be Included?     In the book, the art that is covered spans across the entire world. From Europe to America, and from Asia to Africa, many of the most influential regions are in the book. However, I feel like an excellent region and time period to include in the book would be Nordic and Northern European art, specifically Viking age pieces. The structures made during those times, from houses to war boats, are very intricate and unique. Furthermore, the Nordic and Viking art symbolizes their customs, religion, and power, which gives a good lesson on all of these points through their art. I feel as though they would be excellent things to include in the book to teach students about this time period and everything it represented. It would give a very positive effect because we would be able to learn about the art of an ancient civilization which was very prevalent in history. What Should be Excluded?     In this book, every single section is...

Art Detectives      It is no doubt that “Art a Brief History” has accomplished interpreting the contextual background and significance while making commentary.  The goal, however, is to help the students who read this textbook to recognize and appreciate the central role that art and architecture have played in human history. The Art Detectives portion is only a fraction of what our peers have learned!  The Influence     We see artistic elements every day! Below are some provided examples.  (Figure 5) Gardens of the Getty Villa - Chelsy Librado      One of our group members independently chose this image as the Getty Villa’s Roman-inspired characteristics are visible as they ride down Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) on their way to the beach for a weekly ride. Our peer mentions “I have always noticed the tall columns but never thought they were Roman-inspired!”        The Getty Villa is widely known for being a museu...

The Content          What is art? One could give a basic definition that "works of art demonstrate a combination of imagination, skill, training, and observation on the part of their human creator" (Stokstad, 1) a definition given by "Art: A Brief History." The other side of this is that art is whatever we believe is art. Imogen Cunningham's "Two Callas" (1929) (figure 2) is a clear example of that. (Figure 2) Figure 2 is a gelatin-silver print, a photograph. A lot of people would disagree and say "No, this is not art. There is no imagination, skill, or training in clicking a button." A lot of people would say "Yes, it is art. There is skill, imagination, and training in this photograph." "Art: A Brief History" states that Cunningham captures "the artistic character" (Stokstad, 3) not necessarily through "exacting detail recorded" (Stokstad, 3) but rather "the compositional choices and dramatic li...

    “Art: A Brief History,” the textbook we have reached out to for our global arts course, is the interpreter of art from prehistoric to contemporary art. Not only does it bring out the best in art pieces by having stunning and realistic images that embody the context and significance clearly while being easy to understand to college students with little to no background in art studies.       “Art: A Brief History” is an introductory textbook for students that want to learn the history of art. While the functional use and creativity come from the artist, “Art: A Brief History” interprets the contextual background, significance, and makes commentary.  (Stokstad, XV) It's a book that’s well-composed, interesting, and informative. As a whole, the textbook can be said that it’s one of the best textbooks with enough information on the history of the pieces and the artists together.        This book sets out to educate the publ...