English 100 (Susan St. John): Homework: Art Reviews

• Homework: Responding to Art
• Locating Art Reviews in Library Databases
• Locating Art Reviews Online

Browsing the library stacks is a great way to discover books on a topic. Listed below are the call number ranges pertaining to ART. These books are located on the third floor.

Homework: 

• Find and read an art review. Keep track of the review you find. You may decide to use it in your annotated bibliography.

What is an art review?

An art review is an umbrella term for the analysis of different aspects of art including:

• Piece review - discussion of a particular work of art (singular painting, sculpture, item, etc)
• Artist review - discussion of an artist's oeuvre or style
• Exhibition review - discussion of a curated show featuring the work of one artist or a thematic exhibition displaying many artists around a theme.

Search Strategies: Where can I find art reviews?

• Library Databases
• Art Publications (print and online)
• Newspapers

Search Strategies: What search terms/words should I use?

If you know the artist or art piece that you would like to research, search for it by entering the artist's name or the title of the art piece/exhibition in one of the library databases. 

If you don't know what artist or art piece to research, select and artist or art piece by looking through art movements*:

• The Most Famous Art Movements (Artland Magazine)
• List of Art Movements (Wikipedia)
• MoMA: Glossary of Art Terms 
• Tate: Art and Artists 

Or browse the stacks in the library, art journals, or in online museum databases. Once you have selected your artist or art piece, move on to the next section, locating art reviews.

*The selection provided is heavily dominated by Western art movements and artists. If you are interested in art from a different region or a specific medium (clay, photography), search for it in the library catalog (library.wcc.hawaii.edu) or online.

JStor is a database that specializes in the humanities including art. There are several ways to quickly find reviews:

Search 1: Advanced Search

1. On the database homepage, click on the link "advanced search."

2. In the search bar, enter your artist or the title of your art piece. Select Item Type = Reviews.

3. Browse through the results. Reviews often have the heading "Review" in the title of the article.

Search 2: Browse

1. Locate "Browse" on the top menu. Click on Browse > By Subject.

2. The page will refresh to "Browse by Subject."  Click on the link "Art and Art History."

3. When the page refreshes, you will see a list of art journals. You can either browse the list (select a Journal and review) or you can search for your artist, work of art, or art movement in the search bar.

1. Search within journals for reviews 

Search Strategy:

• In the search bar, enter the "artist or art piece" and "review." Example: "Kahlo" AND "review"

Search Strategy:

• In the search bar, enter the "artist or art piece" and "review." Example: "Kahlo" AND "review"

Listed below is a selection of online art publications. (For older issues of any of these Journals, look in JSTOR or Academic Search Complete):

• ArtReview (1949-Present) - International contemporary art magazine featuring art and cultural news, criticism, opinions, and other articles.
• Art Forum (1962-Present) - International magazine specializing in contemporary art. 
• ARTnews (1902-Present) - The oldest and most widely circulated art magazine in the world publishing exhibition reviews, interviews with artists, and essays.
• Juxtapoz (1994-Present) - Known for covering street art/graffiti. 
• Art in America (1913-Present) - Contains art criticism, exhibition reviews, artists profiles. Purchased by ARTnews in 2015.
• Aesthetica (2002-Present) - An international art and culture magazine that covers contemporary art, architecture, fashion, and design.
• Apollo: The International Art Magazine (1925-Present) - Covers visual art of all periods from antiquity to the present day.
• Artnet News  - Art "newswire" dedicated to global art market news and commentary from Europe, Asia, and North America.

Art-related Articles from Other Online Sources

• Art reviews from the New York Times
• Art reviews from Wall Street Journal
• Art and design+ reviews from the Guardian (UK Newspaper) 
• Art reviews from The New York Magazine 
• Art reviews from The Telegraph (UK Newspaper)