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El Paso Community College
Library Research Guides

ARTS 1301 - Art Appreciation (Cleo Arevalo): Home

Accompanying guide to Final Project of recreating a masterpiece researching its history, style, artist, etc.

Purpose of this Guide

  • Teach steps and strategies to gather information on a masterpiece
  • You are to find five sources on some of the following: the visual symbology, style, technique and influences on the artist.  A good phrase to use to find this info is "criticism and interpretation".
  • Cite them in MLA format.  Consider using NoodleTools citing software.
  • See assignment in Blackboard for complete details. 

Finding a Topic

Some ideas:

Betye Saar, "The Liberation of Aunt Jemima", assemblage

Edvard Munch, "The Scream", Expressionism

Van Gogh, "Starry Night", Impressionism

Frida Kahlo, self portrait, Modernism

Kandinsky, "Composition 8", abstract/non representational

Klimt, "The Kiss", art nouveau

Browse books in the "N" section of the call numbers.  There are many books in the beginning of this section that contain a lot of artists that share characteristics, for example:  women, chicano artists, expressionists, etc.  Paging through them may spark your interest and give you one of your sources!

Search steps

KEYWORD SEARCH your artist first in Ebsco Discovery Service to see articles, books (print and ebooks) and more, including videos!

Hint: Change the search to SUBJECT if there are too many.

Hint for print books: If your painting is mentioned inside the book, you may not find that fact online, but you can find it by checking the index in the back of the book and/or do a google books search and see if there are preview pages on your painting (or if it's a book we have at our libraries but didn't come up in your first search)

REFINE YOUR SEARCH (if needed) 

- add the title of the painting, or the style of work, motif, technique etc. 

-Click on the subject heading that has your artist's name followed by Criticism and Interpretation. Example: KahloFrida -- Criticism and interpretation

SAVE or EMAIL or PRINT article with citation in MLA style.  Optional: use Noodle Tools to save your citations and print bibliographies

Tools for Citing

EBSCO Discovery Service

EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) allows you to search multiple databases and the Library Catalog from a single search box. Results may include articles from newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals; books; and e-books.

Search for books, articles, DVDs & more...

JSTOR

Google Books

Comprehensive Art Sites

Use this customized google search box to search the below art websites

Off Campus Access

​Login when you are off campus by using your my.epcc.edu account and password.  You can move from database to database and stay logged in.

If you are In EDS (Ebsco Discovery Service) and haven't logged in yet, click on the words “hello guest” in the green bar at the top of the page and login.

Immersive Art sites

Local Art Scene: Artists and Muralists

Librarian

EPCC Web site || EPCC Libraries Web Site || EPCC Library Catalog
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