Choosing an Artist or Designer to Research
In your Art Research Paper, you'll relate your work to that of an artist or designer and do research on their art. Look for an artist whose work has something in common with your own. Their work doesn't necessarily have to resemble yours in a visual way but can focus on a similar theme or issue. For example, if you made a painting dealing with climate change, you could pick an artist who also addresses the climate crisis but uses the medium of installation or photography.
Image: Joana Vasconcelos, Valkyrie Mumbet
Using the Internet for Research
Most people start their art research on the internet, using Wikipedia to get background information on their topic.
When researching art online, you probably won't come across outright disinformation but look out for bias and hype (especially on artists' and gallery websites, which are a form of PR) and you may also run into a lot of very short artist bios that don't really give you enough material to work with for your paper.
Museum websites can have excellent content on artists and movements. Exhibition reviews and feature articles in general news sources or art news sites (Artsy, Hyperallergic, etc.) can give you insights that you can incorporate into your paper. Artist interviews and videos on sites like Art 21 can expose you to their creative process.
Here are a few online sources to try when looking for information about artists:
- Art21Excellent series of videos on contemporary artists.
- Art StoryNon-profit site dedicated to art.
- Artsy.netCheck out the Art Genome Project, which organizes works of art around different subjects.
- WikipediaYes, Wikipedia. Look for references at the bottom of an article for additional sources on your topic.
Using the Library for Research
Library sources are sometimes more in-depth than what you find online. They can offer you a different perspective on your topic, giving you insights and discussion that you can incorporate into your paper. The simplest way to search for library books and articles is to use Search Everything on the library website.
Use Search Everything
A Guide to the Research Process
- Information Literacy with Elsa Loftis on LinkedIn Learning
If you'd like a thorough guide to the research process, check out this mini course with Elsa Loftis. (Login with your MassArt Google account.)