The Art of Looking at Art

A readable guide to the art of looking at art. There's an art to viewing art. A sizable portion of the population regards art with varying degrees of reverence, bewilderment, suspicion, contempt, and intimidation. Most people aren't sure what to do when standing before a work of art, besides gaze at it for what they hope is an acceptable amount of time, and even those who visit galleries and museums regularly aren't always as well versed as they wish they could be. This book will help remedy that situation and answer many of the most frequently asked questions pertaining to the matter of art in general: When was the first art made? Who decides which art is "for the ages"? What is art's purpose? How do paintings get to be worth tens of millions of dollars? Where do artists get their ideas? And perhaps the most pressing question of all, have human cadavers ever been used as art materials? (Yup.) The Art of Looking at Art addresses these and countless more of the issues surrounding this frequently misunderstood microcosm, in a highly informative, yet conversational tone. History, fascinating and altogether human backstories, and information pertaining to every conceivable aspect of visual art are interwoven in twelve concise chapters, providing all the information the average person needs to comfortably approach, analyze, and appreciate art. Readers with a background in art will learn a few new things as well. This beautiful full-color book includes 45 full-page reproductions.

Gene Wisniewski

Table of Contents Introduction Chapter One-Ten Reasons to Appreciate Art Chapter Two-the First 95% of Art History-Prehistoric Art Chapter Three-From Artisan to Artist-How Art Became About Self-Expression (It Wasn't Always)-The Most Recent 5% of Art History Chapter Four-"the Place of the Muses"-a Brief History of the Museum Chapter Five-Art vs. Life-How Art and Life Influence One Another Chapter Six- Art Is Where You Find It-Where Artists Find Inspiration Chapter Seven-This Is Your Brain on Art-the Human Brain and the Creative Process Chapter Eight-The 13 or So Traits of Creative People (According to Me) Chapter Nine-Self-Expression for Sale-Art and the Marketplace Chapter Ten-"We the People" As Patron of the Arts-Government's Role in the Arts Chapter Eleven-Listening to Art, Even When It Isn't Speaking to You-Understanding "Difficult" Art Chapter Twelve- What to Look for When You Look at Art-Art Appreciation Appendix A: Finding Art to Look At Appendix B: Prehistoric Timeline Appendix C: Timeline of Art Movements Selected Bibliography Index