A CCA Libraries guide to resources in visual studies. Supporting the research demands of the Introduction to the Arts and Introduction to Modern Art courses, this brief guide cites major art and visual studies resources available in the CCA libraries.

Contents:

Finding art images

General art dictionaries & encyclopedias

  • Oxford Art online
    Includes four online resources: Grove Art Online, the Oxford Companion to Western Art, the Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, and the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms.
  • Dictionary of art / Jane Turner (OAK REF ENCYC N31 .D54 1996).
    The 34 volume print version from which they developed the Grove Dictionary of Art.
  • The Penguin concise dictionary of art history / Nancy Frazier (OAK & SF REF N5300 .F64 2000).
    A handy desk reference of major artists, architects, art terms, periods, and techniques (with no images).
  • Glossary of art, architecture, & design / John A Walker (OAK & SF REF N34 W34 1992).
    Another brief glossary of art terms - this one with images, but without artist entries.

» Art guides & atlases

  • The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
    An online chronological, geographical, and thematic exploration of the history of art from around the world, as illustrated by the Museum's collection.
  • A Guide to art / edited by Sandro Sproccati(OAK & SF REF N5300 .G855 1992).
    A chronological guide to Western art from the 14th to late 20th century. Organized by artistic movements.
  • Art in the modern era / Amy Dempsey (OAK & SF REF N6490 .D415 2002).
    A chronological guide to Western art from 1860 to the present. Organized by artistic movements.
  • Art on the cutting edge / Lea Vergine (OAK REF N6490.4 .V47 2000).
    A paperback guide to Western art movements from 1950 to present. Includes bibliographies to each movement and extensive selections directly from artists' writings and interviews.
  • Forms and Styles: Asia (OAK REF N 7260 .f6 1994).
    Introductions to the artistic histories of Asia, organized by country. With bibliographies, drawings, and maps.
  • Atlas of world art / John Onians (OAK REF N5300 .A77 2004).
    Detailed maps keyed to the major developments in the history of art from 40,000 bce to present. Places artworks into the cultural and political contexts of their time and place.
  • Atlas of western art history / John Steer and Antony White (OAK REF N 5306 S7 1994).
    Artists, sites, and movements from ancient Greece to the modern age with political and cultural commentary.

» Art history surveys

  • History of art / HW Janson (OAK N5300 .J35 1995).
  • History of architecture / Spiro Kostof (SF NA200 .K68 1995)
  • History of art in Africa / MB Visonà (OAK N7380 .H54 2001)
  • Art in China / C Clunas (OAK N 7340 .C59 1997)
  • History of Japanese art / P Mason (OAK N7350 .M26 1993)
  • Art of the 20th century /JL Ferrier (SF & OAK REF N6490 .A717 1999)
  • History of graphic design / PB Meggs (SF Z 244.5 M42 1992)

Biographical Sources

  • World artists (1950-1980) and (1980-1990) / Claude Marks (OAK REF N 40 .M37).
    Brief biographies of 430 artists working between 1950 and 1990 in two volumes. Each bio includes lists of the artist's major exhibitions, collections, and a brief bibliography of other sources.
  • St. James guide to black artists / Thomas Riggs (OAK REF N 40 S78 1997).
    "Biographical and career information, as well as brief critical essays, on nearly four hundred of the most prominent black artists" from the 19th and 20th century.
  • St. James guide to native North American artists / Roger Matuz (OAK REF N 40 .S79 1998).
    Biographical and career information of over 350 native American artists, primarily from the 20th century.
  • St. James guide to Hispanic artists / Thomas Riggs (OAK REF N 6538 .H58 S7 2002).
    Biographical and career infomation of 375 Hispanic artists from Latin and North America.
  • Dictionary of women artists / Chris Petteys (OAK REF N43 .P47 1985).
    An international directory of women artists born before 1900. Very brief entries on over 21,000 painters, sculptors, printmakers, and illustrators. Bibliography provides suggestions for additional reading.
  • North American women artists of the twentieth century / Jules and Nancy Heller (OAK REF N 43 .N67 1995).
    Biographies and brief bibliographies of hundreds of women artists of the last century.
  • Artists in California: 1786-1940 (2 vol.) / Edan Milton Hughes (OAK REF N 6530 .C2 H85).
    Brief biographies of thousands of California artists of the 19th and early 20th century.
  • Contemporary artists (2 vol.) / Sara and Tom Pendergrast (OAK REF N 6489 .C65)
    "Comprehensive profiles of nearly 850 of the most significant artists working in the contemporary era."

Finding Journal Articles on the Arts

Use the following databases to find articles online and in the library stacks.

» Art Full Text/AAC

Art Full Text/Art & Architecture Complete (AAC) is a comprehensive resource for articles in the arts, architecture and design.

» Art Bibliographies Modern

Provides abstracts of journal articles, books and essays on all forms of modern and contemporary art dating from the late 19th century onwards.

» Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals

Offers a comprehensive listing of journal articles on architecture and design, including bibliographic descriptions on subjects such as the history and practice of architecture, landscape architecture, city planning, historic preservation, and interior design and decoration.

» Design & Applied Art Index

Provides access to journal articles published in over 450 international craft and design journals since 1973 and includes data on over 50,000 designers, craftspeople, studios, workshops and companies.

Researching the Arts on the Web

Unfortunately, regular Google searches for artists and art works often retrieve a lot of irrelevant pages. Fortunately, there are tons of other good online art resources on the Web.

» Customized Google Art Search

Find reliable information online by searching only art, architecture, and design websites that have been specially selected by the CCA librarians.

For more Information