The Thames & Hudson Introduction to Art is a comprehensive guide to all aspects of the visual arts. Part 1 introduces the visual language of art, while Part 2 explains how art is made, from such traditional media and processes as stone carving, fresco and oil painting, to contemporary approaches, such as digital and conceptual art and installations. Part 3 offers an overview of the history of art from prehistoric times to the 21st century in all parts of the world, and Part 4 examines art through the major themes that, across cultures and throughout history, have inspired artists to create great works of art. More than 800 images of art are shown and discussed in a clear and vivid way, offering stimulating insights into the visual arts. Additionally, the authors have selected eight iconic works that represent the extraordinary variety of art created throughout time and around the world. As these great works are examined from different points of view in the four parts of the book, the reader gains a deeper understanding of the skill involved in artistic creation, and the endless expressive possibilities of art. This is a beautifully illustrated book that emphasizes the astonishing diversity of art in all its forms. Here the reader encounters the timeless primal power of the Woman from Willendorf, made as long ago as 24,000 BCE; dramatically differing architectural masterpieces, from Temple 1 in the Great Plaza of Tikal in Guatemala, built between 300 and 900 BCE, to the twentieth-century innovations of Le Corbusier; the delicate detail of fifteenth-century portraits by Jan Van Eyck alongside Andy Warhol's Double Elvis; and contemporary works ranging from the traditionally crafted Japanese kimonos of Sonoko Sasaki to the dynamic and thought-provoking video art of Bill Viola. The Thames & Hudson Introduction to Art is the most accessible and complete visual arts guide available, and an indispensable resource for art students and enthusiasts alike.

An exemplary survey that reassesses the impact of the most important books to have shaped art history through the twentieth century Written by some of today’s leading art historians and curators, this new collection provides an invaluable road map of the field by comparing and reexamining canonical works of art history. From Émile Mâle’s magisterial study of thirteenth-century French art, first published in 1898, to Hans Belting’s provocative Likeness and Presence: A History of the Image before the Era of Art, the book provides a concise and insightful overview of the history of art, told through its most enduring literature. Each of the essays looks at the impact of a single major book of art history, mapping the intellectual development of the writer under review, setting out the premises and argument of the book, considering its position within the broader field of art history, and analyzing its significance in the context of both its initial reception and its afterlife. An introduction by John-Paul Stonard explores how art history has been forged by outstanding contributions to scholarship, and by the dialogues and ruptures between them.

What exactly is Neo-Expressionism? The part of a city known as the acropolis? Or the painting technique called gouache? In this authoritative and concise dictionary, more than 2000 entries and 375 illustrations embrace the vast vocabulary of painting and sculpture, architecture and photography, the decorative, applied and graphic arts. The geographical spread is global; the chronological range takes in both Helladic art from Bronze Age Greece and holography, one of the newest means of expression provided by modern technology. 375 illus.

An introduction to the rich and diverse art of California, this book highlights its distinctive role in the history of American art, from early-20th-century photography to Chicanx mural painting, the Fiber Art Movement and beyond. Shaped by a compelling network of geopolitical influences including waves of migration and exchange from the Pacific Rim and Mexico, the influx of African Americans immediately after World War II, and global immigration after quotas were lifted in the 1960s, California is a centre of artistic activity whose influence extends far beyond its physical boundaries. Furthermore, California was at the forefront of radical developments in artistic culture, most notably conceptual art and feminism, and its education system continues to nurture and encourage avant-garde creativity. Organized chronologically and thematically with illustrations throughout, this attractive study stands as an important reassessment of Californias contribution to modern and contemporary art in the United States and globally.

'Destination Art' serves as a guide to land and environmental works, sculpture parks and site-specific installations worldwide. Along with photographs, this book features 50 key destinations in substantial detail, and a further 150 sites giving concise descriptions.

Flexible organization, inclusive illustration program, expanded media resources.

There has been much scaremongering about the 'death of the book', and how, as words find new ways and means of transmission, young people might gradually begin to shun writing. In the digital age, text becomes information, and information strives to become free. But what value can text hold in the sphere of visual art? How is such text different from poetry? Can the poetic itself be visual art, or is text in this context consigned to the realms of gimmick and catchphrase? Looking at the work of a broad range of artists including Bruce Nauman, Julien Breton, Jeremy Deller, Takashi Murakami, Tracey Emin, Christian Boltanski and many more, The Word is Art examines each of these questions, contending above all that in the digital and online age, words have become more important than ever. With the advent of texting and social media, many predicted the debasement of language, and some have pointed to evidence of this in our so-called 'post-truth' culture. Artist Michael Petry demonstrates that, on the contrary, words remain critical, powerful and central to art practice. Digital communication has seen the word as text permeate life in ways that the poets and artists of yesterday could never have imagined. Presenting a brief history of word- and book-based art, and examining major areas where the word has dominated artistic practice, this book takes us on a fascinating and richly illustrated global tour of diverse contemporary art forms. With 250 illustrations in colour