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Article contents

Arts-based research.

Janinka Greenwood Janinka Greenwood University of Canterbury
https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.29
Published online: 25 February 2019

Arts-based research encompasses a range of research approaches and strategies that utilize one or more of the arts in investigation. Such approaches have evolved from understandings that life and experiences of the world are multifaceted, and that art offers ways of knowing the world that involve sensory perceptions and emotion as well as intellectual responses. Researchers have used arts for various stages of research. It may be to collect or create data, to interpret or analyze it, to present their findings, or some combination of these. Sometimes arts-based research is used to investigate art making or teaching in or through the arts. Sometimes it is used to explore issues in the wider social sciences. The field is a constantly evolving one, and researchers have evolved diverse ways of using the communicative and interpretative tools that processes with the arts allow. These include ways to initially bypass the need for verbal expression, to explore problems in physically embodied as well as discursive ways, to capture and express ambiguities, liminalities, and complexities, to collaborate in the refining of ideas, to transform audience perceptions, and to create surprise and engage audiences emotionally as well as critically. A common feature within the wide range of approaches is that they involve aesthetic responses.

The richness of the opportunities created by the use of arts in conducting and/or reporting research brings accompanying challenges. Among these are the political as well as the epistemological expectations placed on research, the need for audiences of research, and perhaps participants in research, to evolve ways of critically assessing the affect of as well as the information in presentations, the need to develop relevant and useful strategies for peer review of the research as well as the art, and the need to evolve ethical awareness that is consistent with the intentions and power of the arts.

multisensory
performance

Introduction

The term arts-based research is an umbrella term that covers an eclectic array of methodological and epistemological approaches. The key elements that unify this diverse body of work are: it is research; and one or more art forms or processes are involved in the doing of the research. How art is involved varies enormously. It has been used as one of several tools to elicit information (Cremin, Mason, & Busher, 2011 ; Gauntlett, 2007 ; Wang & Burns, 1997 ) and for the analysis of data (Boal, 1979 ; Gallagher, 2014 ; Neilson, 2008 ), and so it serves as an enrichment to the palette of tools used in qualitative research. It has been used in the presentation of findings (Bagley & Cancienne, 2002 ; Conrad, 2012 ; Gray & Sinding, 2002 ) and so occupies a space that could be responded to and evaluated as both art and research. It has been used to investigate art and the process of art-making. The emergence of the concept and practice of a/r/tography (Belliveau, 2015 ; Irwin, 2013 ; Springgay, Irwin, & Kind, 2005 ), for example, places art-making and its textual interpretation in a dynamic relationship of inquiry into the purpose, process, and meaning of the making of an artwork.

The field is multifaceted and elusive of definition and encompassing explanation. This article does not attempt such definitions. But it does risk describing some well-trodden pathways through the field and posing some questions. Illustrative examples are offered from the author’s work, as well as citing of works by other researchers who use arts-based approaches.

My own explorations of arts-based research began many years ago, before the term came into usage. I was commissioned to develop a touring play for a New Zealand youth theater, and I chose to write a docudrama, Broadwood: Na wai te reo? (Greenwood, 1995 ). The play reported the case of a remote, rural, and predominantly Maori school that made Maori language a compulsory subject in its curriculum. The parents of one boy argued against the decision, claiming the language held no use for their son. The dispute was aired on national television and was debated in parliament. The minister agreed that the local school board had the right to make the decision after consultation with parents and community. The dispute ended with the boy being given permission to do extra math assignments in the library during Maori language classes. To develop the script, I interviewed all the local participants in the case and sincerely sought to capture the integrity of their views in my dialogue. I accessed the minister of education’s comments through public documents and media and reserved the right to occasionally satirize them. Just a week or two before final production, the family’s lawyer officially asked for a copy of the script. To my relief, it was returned with the comment that the family felt I had captured their views quite accurately. The youth theater was invited to hold its final rehearsal on the local marae (a traditional tribal Maori ground that holds a meeting house and hosts significant community occasions), and a local elder offered the use of an ancestral whalebone weapon in the opening performance, instead of the wooden one made for the production. The opening performance took place in the school itself, and the boy, together with his parents and family friends, sat in the audience together with hundreds of community people. The play had an interactive section where the audience was asked to vote in response to a survey the school had originally sent out to its community. The majority of the audience voted for Maori language to be part of the mandatory curriculum. The boy and his family voted equally emphatically for it not to be. The play then toured in New Zealand and was taken to a festival in Australia.

At the time I saw the work purely in terms of theater—albeit with a strongly critical social function. Looking back, I now see it was a performative case study. I had carefully researched the context and respectfully interviewed participants after gaining their informed consent. The participants had all endorsed my reporting of the data. The findings were disseminated and subject to popular as well as peer review. The performances added an extra dimension to the research: they actively invited audience consideration and debate.

This article discusses the epistemology that underlies arts-based approaches to research, reviews the purposes and value of research that involves the arts, identifies different stages and ways that art may be utilized, and addresses questions that are debated in the field. It does not seek to disentangle all the threads within this approach to research or to review all key theorizations and possibilities in the field. The arena of arts-based research is a diverse and rapidly expanding one, and it is only possible within this discussion to identify some of the common underlying characteristics and potentialities and to offer selected examples. Because this discussion is shaped within an essay format, rather than through a visual or performative collage, there is the risk of marking a limited number of pathways and of making assertions. At the same time, I acknowledge that the discussion might have alternatively been conducted through arts-based media, which might better reflect some of the liminalities and interweaving layers of art-based processes (see further, Greenwood, 2016 ).

The term art itself compasses a wide and diverse spectrum of products and process. This article focuses particularly on dramatic and visual art, while acknowledging that the use of other art forms, such as poetry, fiction, dance, film, and fabric work, have been variously used in processes of investigation. The word art is used to indicate the wider spectrum of art activities and to refer to more specific forms and processes by their disciplines and conventions.

Why Use Art?

One of the main reasons for the growth of arts-based approaches to research is recognition that life experiences are multi-sensory, multifaceted, and related in complex ways to time, space, ideologies, and relationships with others. Traditional approaches to research have been seen by increasing numbers of researchers as predominantly privileging cerebral, verbal, and linearly temporal approaches to knowledge and experience. The use of art in research is one of many shifts in the search for truthful means of investigation and representation. These include, among others, movements toward various forms of narratives (Riessman, 2008 ), recognition of indigenous knowledges, and indigenous ways of sharing and using knowledge (Bharucha, 1993 ; Smith, 2014 ), auto-ethnographies (Ellis, 2004 ), conceptualizations of wicked questions (Rittel & Webber, 1973 ), processes of troubling (Gardiner, 2015 ), and queering (Halperin, 2003 ). Preissle ( 2011 ) writes about the “qualitative tapestry” (p. 689) and identifies historic and contemporary threads of epistemological challenges, methods, and purposes, pointing out the ever-increasing diversity in the field. Denzin and Lincoln ( 2011 ) describe qualitative research as a site of multiple interpretative practices and, citing St. Pierre’s ( 2004 ) argument that we are in a post “post” period, assert that “we are in a new age where messy, uncertain multi-voiced texts, cultural criticism, and new experimental works will become more common, as will more reflexive forms of fieldwork, analysis and intertextual representation” (p. 15). Springgay, Irwin, and Kind ( 2005 ) assert that a/r/tography is not a new branch of qualitative research but a methodology in its own right, and that it conceptualizes inquiry as an embodied encounter through visual and textual experiences. The use of art in research is a succession of approaches to develop methodology that is meaningful and useful.

Art, product, and process allow and even invite art-makers to explore and play with knowing and meaning in ways that are more visceral and interactive than the intellectual and verbal ways that have tended to predominate in Western discourses of knowledge. It invites art viewers to interact with representations in ways that involve their senses, emotions, and ideas. Eisner ( 1998 , 2002 ) makes a number of significant assertions about the relationship between form and knowledge that emphasize the importance of art processes in offering expanded understandings of “what it means to know” (Eisner, 1998 , p. 1). He states: “There are multiple ways in which the world can be known: Artists, writers, and dancers, as well as scientists, have important thongs to tell about the world” (p. 7). Like other constructivists (Bruner, 1990 ; Guba, 1996 ), he further argues that because human knowledge is a constructed form of experience, it is a reflection of mind as well as nature, that knowledge is made, not simply discovered. He then reasons that “the forms through which humans represent their conception of the world have a major influence on what they are able to say about it” (p. 6), and, making particular reference to education, he states that whichever particular forms of representation become acceptable “is as much a political matter as an epistemological one” (p. 7). Eisner’s arguments to extend conceptualizations of knowledge within the field of education have been echoed in the practices of art-based researchers.

Artists themselves understand through their practice that art is way of coming to know the world and of presenting that knowing, emergent and shifting though it may be, to others. Sometimes the process of coming to know takes the form of social analysis. In Guernica , as a well-known example, Picasso scrutinizes and crystallizes the brutal betrayals and waste of war. In Caucasian Chalk Circle , Brecht fractures and strips bare ideas of justice, loyalty, and ownership. Their respective visual and dramatic montages speak in ways that are different from and arguably more potent than discursive descriptions.

In many indigenous cultures, art forms are primary ways of processing and recording communally significant information and signifying relationships. For New Zealand Māori, the meeting house, with its visual images, poetry, song, oratory, and rituals, is the repository library of mythic and genealogical history and of the accumulated legacies of meetings, contested positions, and nuanced consensual decisions. Art within Māori and other indigenous culture is not an illustrative addition to knowledge systems, it is an integral means of meaning making and recording.

One of the characteristics of arts and arts-based research projects is that they engage with aesthetic understandings as well as with discursive explanations. The aesthetic is a contested term (Greenwood, 2011 ; Hamera, 2011 ). However, it is used here to describe the engagement of senses and emotion as well as intellectual processes, and the consequent collation of semiotics and significances that are embedded in cultural awareness and are variously used by art makers and art viewers to respond to works of art. An aesthetic response thus is a visceral as well as rational one. It may be comfortable with ambiguities, and it may elude verbalization.

The processes of art-making demand a commitment to a continuous refinement of skills and awareness. Art-viewers arguably also gain more from an artwork as they acquire the skills and literacies involved with that particular art form and as they gain confidence to engage with the aesthetic. However, viewers may apprehend meaning without mastery of all the relevant literacies. I recall an experience of watching flamenco in El Puerto de Santa Maria, a township outside Cadiz. My senses drank in the white stone of former monastery walls and the darkening sky over an open inner courtyard. My muscles and emotions responded spontaneously to the urgency of the guitar and the beaten rhythms on a packing case drum. My nerves tensed as the singer’s voice cut through the air. The two dancers, both older and dressed in seemingly causal fawn and grey, riveted my attention. I was a stranger to the art form, and I did not know the language of the dance and could not recognize its phases or its allusions. I did feel the visceral tug of emotion across space. My heart and soul responded to something urgent, strangely oppressive, but indefinable that might have an apprehension of what those who understand flamenco call duende . If I was more literate in the art form, I would no doubt have understood a lot more, but the art, performed by those who did know and had mastered its intricacies, communicated an experience of their world to me despite my lack of training. In that evening, I learned more about the experience of life in southern Spain than I had in my earlier pursuit of library books and websites.

Art, thus, is positioned as a powerful tool that calls for ever-refining expertise in its making, but that can communicate, at differing levels, even with those who do not have that expertise. Researchers who use art draw on its rich, and sometimes complex and elusive, epistemological bases to explore and represent aspects of the world. The researchers may themselves be artists; at the least, they need to know enough of an art form to be aware of its potential and how to manipulate it. In some cases intended participants and audiences may also be artists, but often they are not. It is the researcher who creates a framework in which participants join in the art or in which audiences receive it.

Art, Research Purpose, and Research Validity

So far, the argument for the value of art as a way of knowing is multifarious, embodied, and tolerant of ambivalences and ambiguities. Where then are the rigors that are widely held as essential for research? It can be argued that arts-based research, to be considered as research, needs to have explicit research purpose and needs to subject itself to peer critique.

As has been widely noted (Eisner, 1998 ; Leavy, 2017 ; Sullivan, 2010 ), the making of art involves some investigation, both into the process of making and into some aspect of the experiential world. In research, that purpose needs to be overt and explicit. When the purpose is identified, then the choice of methods can be open to critical scrutiny and evaluation. The design of an arts-based research project is shaped, at its core, by similar considerations as other research.

Arts-based research needs to be explicit about what is being investigated. If the objective is not clear, then the result may still be art, but it is hard to call it research. Purpose determines which of the vast array of art strategies and processes will be selected as the research methods. The trustworthiness of any research depends on a number of factors: at the design stage, it depends on a clear alignment between the purpose of the research and the methods selected to carry out the investigation. In arts-based research, as in other research, it is vital that the researcher identifies the relationship between purpose and selected art tools, and offers recipients of the research clear means to evaluate and critique the reliability and usefulness of the answers that come from the research. This is where choices about strategies need to be clearly identified and explained, and both the aims and boundaries of the investigation need to be identified.

This does not imply need for a rigid and static design. Art is an evolving process, and the research design can well be an evolving one, as is the case with participatory action research (Bryndon-Miller, Karl, Maguire, Noffke, & Sabhlok, 2011 ), bricolage (Denzin & Lincoln, 2011 ), and a number of other research approaches. However, the strategic stages and choices of the emergent design donot need to be identified and explained. Nor does it imply that all data or findings need to be fully explicable verbally. One of the reasons for choosing arts-based methods, although not the only one, is to allow the operation of aesthetic and subconscious understandings as well as conscious and verbalized ones. That is part of the epistemological justification for choosing an arts-based approach. The ambivalences and pregnant possibilities that result may be considered valued gains from the choice of research tools, and their presence simply needs to be identified, together with explication of the boundaries of how such ambivalence and possibilities relate to the research question.

Different Kinds of Purpose

The sections of this article examine common and different areas of purpose for which arts-based research is frequently used, arranging them into three clusters and discussing some of the possibilities within each one.

The first, and perhaps largest, cluster of purposes for using arts-based research is to investigate some social (in the broadest sense of the word) issue. Such issues might, for example, include woman’s rights, school absenteeism, gang membership, cross-cultural encounters, classroom relationships, experiences of particular programs, problems in language acquisition. The methodological choices involved in this group of purposes have been repeatedly addressed (e.g., Boal, 1979 ; O’Brien & Donelan, 2008 ; Finley, 2005 ; Leavy, 2017 ; Prosser, 2011 ; Wang & Burns, 1997 ) in discussions of the use of arts-based approaches to the social sciences. The intention for using arts-based tools is to open up different, and hopefully more empowering, options for exploring the specific problem or issue, and for expressing participants’ perspectives in ways that can bypass participants’ discomfort with words or unconscious compliance with dominant discourses, or perhaps to present findings in ways that better reveal their dynamics and complexity than written reports.

Another smaller, but important, cluster of purposes is to research art-making processes or completed art works. For example, a theater director (Smithner, 2010 ) investigates the critical decisions she made in selecting and weaving together separate performance works into a theatrical collage. Or, a researcher (O’Donoghue, 2011 ) investigates how a conceptual artist working with film and video enquires into social, political, and cultural issues and how he shapes his work to provoke viewers to develop specific understandings. These kinds of studies explore the how and why of art-making, focusing on the makers’ intentions, their manipulation of the elements and affordances of their specific art field, and often engage with aesthetic as well as sociocultural dimensions of analysis. Often such studies are presented as narratives or analytic essays, and it is the subject matter of the research that constitutes the arts basis. Sometimes, such studies find expression in new artworks, as is the case in Merita Mita’s film made about the work of painter Ralph Hotere (Mita, 2001 ), which interlays critical analyses, documentation of process, interviews, and pulsating images of the artworks.

The third cluster involves research about teaching, therapy, or community development through one or more of the arts. Here arts are primarily the media of teaching and learning. For example, when drama is the teaching medium, the teacher may facilitate the class by taking a fictional role within the narrative that provokes students to plan, argue, or take action. Students may be prompted to use roles, create improvisations, explore body representations of ideas or conflicts, and explore contentious problems in safely fictitious contexts. Because it examines both work within an art form and changes in learners’ or community members’ understandings of other issues, this cluster overlaps somewhat with the two previous clusters. However, it is also building a body of its own traditions.

One strong tradition is the documentation of process. For example, Burton, Lepp, Morrison, and O’Toole ( 2015 ) report two decades of projects, including Dracon and Cooling Conflict , which have used drama strategies as well as formal theoretical teaching to address conflict and bullying. They have documented the specific strategies used, discussed their theoretical bases, and acknowledged the evidence on which they base their claims about effectiveness of the strategies in building understanding about and reducing bullying. The strategies used involved use of role and improvisation and what the authors call an enhanced form of Boal’s Forum Theatre. Other examples include the Risky Business Project (O’Brien & Donelan, 2008 ), a series of programs involving marginalized youth in dance, drama, music, theater performance, stand-up comedy, circus, puppetry, photography, visual arts, and creative writing; explorations of cross-cultural understandings through drama processes (Greenwood, 2005 ); the teaching of English as a second language in Malaysia through teacher-in-role and other drama processes (Mohd Nawi, 2014 ); working with traditional arts to break down culturally bound ways of seeing the world (Stanley, 2014 ); and the training of a theater-for-development team to use improvisational strategies to address community problems (Okagbue, 2002 ). While the strategies are arts processes and the analysis of their effect addresses aesthetic dimensions of arts as well as cognitive and behavioral ones, the reporting of these projects is primarily within the more traditional verbal and discursive forms of qualitative research.

Sometimes the reporting takes a more dramatic turn. Mullens and Wills ( 2016 ) report and critically analyze Re-storying Disability Through the Arts , an event that sought to create space for dialogue between students, researchers, artists, educators, and practitioners with different involvements or interests in disability arts. They begin their report by re-creating a scene within the workshop that captures some of the tensions evoked, and follow this with a critical commentary on three community-based art practices that engage in a strategy of re-storying disability. They present arts as means to “counter powerful cultural narratives that regulate the lives and bodies of disabled people” (Mullens & Wills, 2016 , p. 5). Barrett ( 2014 ) reports a project, informed by an a/r/tography methodology, which utilized the classroom teaching of the prescribed arts curriculum to allow students to explore evolving understandings of identity and community. Montages of photographs are a central component in the report, as is a series of images that illustrate Barrett’s reflections on her own role within the investigation.

Using Art to Research Social Issues: Collecting Data

Within a social science research project, art processes might be used to collect data, to carry out analysis and interpretation, or to present findings. Perhaps the most common use is to collect data. The process of photovoice (Wang & Burns, 1997 ), for example, gives participants cameras and asks them to capture images that they consider as significant elements of the topic being investigated. Graffiti might be used to prompt absentee students to discuss their perceptions of schooling. Body sculptures, freeze frames, and hot seating are examples of drama strategies that could be used to facilitate reflection and debate about cross-cultural encounters, feelings about hospitalization, experiences of domestic violence, or an array of other topics.

In each case the art produced becomes the basis for further discussion. This process is quite different from historical concepts of art therapy, where the therapist would give expert insight into what a patient’s artwork means; here it is the participants who give the explanation, perhaps independently or perhaps through dialogue with other participants and the researcher. The embodied experience of construction provides a platform and a challenge to talking in ways that are more thoughtful and more honest than through a conventionally structured verbal interview. The talk after making is important, but the art products are not merely precursors to verbal data, they are concrete points of references to which both participants and researchers can refer and can use to prompt further introspection or deconstruction. The process of making, moreover, is one that allows time for reflection and self-editing along the way and so may yield more truthful and complex answers than those that might be given instantly in an interview. Participants who are second language speakers or who lack the vocabulary or theoretical constructs to express complex feelings, reactions, or beliefs can be enabled to use physicalization to create a bridge between what they know or feel wordlessly inside them and an external expression that can be read by others.

The art tools available for such data gathering are as varied as the tools used by artists for making art. They might include drawing, collage, painting, sculpting materials or bodies, singing, orchestration, Lego construction, movement improvisation, creation of texts, photography, graffiti, role creation, and/or spatial positioning.

Art Processes as Tools for Analysis

Art processes can also be used to analyze and interpret data. Within qualitative paradigms, the processes of collecting and interpretation of data often overlap. This is also true of arts-based research. For instance, Greenwood ( 2012 ) reported on a group of experienced Bangladeshi educators who came to New Zealand to complete their Masters. While they were proficient in English, they found colloquial language challenging, struggling often to find words with the right social or emotional connotations at the speed of conversation. In previous discussions, they often looked to each other for translation. A teaching workshop, held as an illustration of arts-based research, addressed the research question: what have been your experiences as international students? A small repertoire of drama strategies, particularly freeze frames with techniques for deconstructing and refining initial offers, short animations, and narrative sequencing were used. These prompted participants to recall and show personal experiences, to critically view and interpret one another’s representations, and to further refine their images to clarify their intended meaning. The participants flung themselves into the challenge with alacrity and flamboyance and created images of eagerness, hope, new relationships, frustration, failed communication, anger, dejection, unexpected learning, and achievement. They also actively articulated ideas as we deconstructed the images and, through debate, co-constructed interpretations of what was being shown in the work and what it meant in terms of their experience, individual and shared, of overseas study. The interweaving of making, reflection, discussion, and further refinement is intrinsic to process drama; as a research method, it affords a means of interweaving data collection and collaborative analysis. In this case the participants also debated aspects of the validity of the process as research, raising questions about subjectivity in interpretation, about the nature of crystallization (Richardson, 1994 ), about informed consent, and about co-construction of narratives. Analysis shifted from being the task of an outsider researcher to one carried out, incrementally and experimentally, by insider participants. While the researcher held the initial power to focus the work, participants’ physical entry into the work, and their interrogation of the images that were created constituted a choice of how much they would share and contribute, and so they became active and sometimes playful partners in the research. This approach to analysis shares many features with participatory action research (Brydon-Miller et al., 2011 ), both in eliciting the agency of participants and in evolving a process of analysis that is interwoven with the gathering of data from preceding action and with the planning of further investigative cycles of action.

The work of Boal is perhaps one of the best known examples of the use of an art process, in this case theater, as a means of analysis of data. Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed ( 1979 ) details a series of strategies for deconstruction and collaborative analysis. For example, in the process he calls image theatre , participants select a local oppressive problem that they seek to resolve. They create and discuss images that exemplify experience of the problem and their idealized solutions (the data); they then analyze their images to find where power resides and how it is supported. Boal’s theater process calls for experimentation with further images that explore scenarios where power could become shared to some extent and could allow further action by those who experience the oppression. The process finishes with consequential explorations of the first step to be taken by participants as a means to work toward an equilibrium of power. Boal, as the title of his book, Theatre of the Oppressed , acknowledges, draws on the work of his Braziailan compatriot, Freire, and particularly on his concept of conscientization (Freire, 1970 , 1972 ). Boal’s process for analyzing experiences of oppression is not so much a direct action plan as a means of analyzing the mechanisms of specific conditions of oppression and the potential, however limited, for agency to resolve the oppression. The sequenced strategies of creating and discussing alternative images of oppression, power relationships, and action enable participants to deconstruct the socio-cultural reality that shapes their lives and to gain awareness of their capacity to transform it.

Art as a Means to Present Findings

There is a large and growing body of research that presents findings in arts forms. A few examples are briefly discussed.

After collecting data, through interviews and official communications from participants in a case where a district school was being threatened with closure, Owen ( 2009 ) commissioned a composer to write a score for sections of his transcripts and create a community opera. He expressed the hope that this would “transform their tiny stories into noisy histories” (p. 3). Part of the data was sung at a conference I attended. I was struck by the shift in power. What I might have regarded as dull data in a PowerPoint presentation now became a compelling articulation of experiences and aspirations and a dynamic debate between personal lives and authoritarian policy.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt project (Morris, 2011 ; Yardlie & Langley, 1995 ) is frequently described as the world’s greatest piece of community folk art. A claim can be made that, while each panel in the quilt is a product of folk art, the collation of the quilt in its enormity is a work of conceptual art that juxtaposes the fragility and isolation of individual loss with the overwhelming global impact of the AIDS epidemic. The quilt can also be seen as research that visually quantifies the death toll through AIDS in Western world communities and that qualitatively investigates the life stories and values of those who died through the perceptions of those who loved them.

A number of museums throughout the world present visual and kinaesthetic accounts of social and historical research. Well-known examples are the Migration Museum in Melbourne, the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, and the Documentation Center for the History of National Socialism in Munich. A less securely established exhibition is that of images of the Australian Aboriginal Stolen Generation that was collected by the Dumbartung Aboriginal Corporation to educate community and schoolchildren, “but only had the funding to showcase the exhibit for one night” (Diss, 2017 ). These and many other exhibitions create visual and experiential environments where the data of history can be not only seen and read but also felt.

In a similar way to how these exhibitions use actual archival photographs, theater may use the exact words of interviews to re-tell real stories. In making Verbatim , Brandt and Harcourt ( 1994 ) collated the words from 30 interviews with convicted murderers, their families, and the families of murder victims. “We went into the prisons to find out what the story was that we were going to tell, and that was the story that emerged from the material we collected,” Harcourt explained (White, 2013 ). “Not only the content, but also the form emerged from that context. We didn’t go in having decided we were going to make a solo show. Form emerged from the experience of the prison system.”

A frequently used form is that of ethnodrama (Mienczakowski, 1995 ; Saldaña, 2008 ). Ethnodrama presents data in a theatrical form: using stage, role, and sometimes lighting and music. Saldaña ( 2008 ) explains that ethnodrama maintains “close allegiance to the lived experiences of real people while presenting their voices through an artistic medium” (p. 3) and argues that the goals are not only aesthetic, they also possess emancipatory potential for motivating social change within participants and audiences.

Sometimes the ethnographic material is further manipulated in the presentation process. Conrad ( 2012 ) describes her research into the Native program at the Alberta youth corrections center in play form as “an ethnographic re-presentation of the research—a creative expression of the research findings” (p. xii). Her play jumps through time, creating fragments of action, and is interspersed by video scenes that provide alternative endings that could result from choices made by the characters. Conrad explains her choice of medium: “Performance has the potential to reach audiences in ways beyond intellectual understanding, through engaging other ways of knowing that are empathetic, emotional, experiential, and embodied, with the potential for radically re-envisioning social relations” (p. xiii).

Belliveau ( 2015 ) created a performative research about his work in teaching Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing in an elementary school. He interwove excerpts of students’ performances from the Shakespearean text with excerpts of their discussions about the issues of power, pride, love, and other themes in a new performance work that illustrated as well as explained primary students’ response to Shakespeare. He later presented a keynote at the IDEA (International Drama in Education Association) conference in Paris where he performed his discussion of this and other work with young students. Similarly, Lutton’s ( 2016 ) doctoral research explored the work and challenges of selected international drama educators using imagination and role play. In her final performance of her research, she took the role of an archivist’s assistant at a fictitious Museum of Educational Drama and Applied Theatre to provide “an opportunity for drama practitioners to use their skills and knowledge of drama pedagogy to tell their own stories” (Lutton, p. 36). She states that her choice of research tool embraces theatricality, enabling the embodiment of participants’ stories, the incorporation of critical reflection and of aesthetic knowledge (p. 36).

The Cheviot, the Stag, and the Black Black Oil , developed by John McGrath and the 7:84 Theatre Company, recounts the history of economic exploitation of the Scottish people, from the evictions that followed the clearances for the farming of Cheviot sheep, through the development of Highland stag hunts, to the capitalist domination of resources in the 1970s oil boom. Within a traditional ceilidh form it tells stories, presents arguments, and uses caricature, satire, and parody. The play is the result of research and of critical analysis of movements of power and economic interests. It is also a very effective instrument of political persuasion: McGrath gives the dispossessed crofters a language that tugs at our empathy whereas that of the landlords provokes our antagonism. Is this polemics or simple historic truth? Does the dramatic impact of the play unreasonably capture our intellects? And if the facts that are presented are validated by other accounts of history does it matter if it does? What is, what should be, what can be the relationship between research and the evocation, even manipulation of emotions?

Emotion—and Its Power

In as much as arts offer different ways of knowing the world, their use at various stages of research has the power to influence both what we come to know and how we know it. Art tools, strategically used, allow access to emotions and visceral responses as well as to conscious ideas. That makes them powerful for eliciting information. It also makes them powerful in influencing audiences.

The photos of the brutality of the police and of the steadfastness of the activists in the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg are examples of powerfully influencing as well as informing data. As well as the events that are recorded, the faces and the bodies speak through the photos. Their exhibition in blown-up size at eye level together with film footage and artifacts create a compellingly powerful response in viewers. Like many others, I came out of the museum emotionally drained and confirmed, even strengthened, in my ideological beliefs. The power of the exhibition had first sharpened and then consolidated my understandings. Was this because of the power of the facts presented in the exhibition, or was it because of the power of their presentation ? Or was it both? When the issue presented is one like apartheid, I am not afraid of having my awareness influenced in multiple ways: I believe I already have an evidence-informed position on the subject. I also applaud the power of the exhibition to inform and convince those who might not yet have reached a position. But what if the issue was a different one? Perhaps one which I was more uncertain about? Might it then seem that the emotional power of the exhibition gave undue weight to the evidence?

The issue here is not a simple one. The presentation is not only the reporting of findings: it is also art. The researcher (in the artist) stays true to the data; the artist (in the researcher) arranges data for effect and affect. Conrad explicitly states her hope that her choice of presentation mode will add impact to her research findings: she wants the presentation of her research about youth in detention centers to engender more empathetic understandings of their experiences and lead, in turn, to more constructive attitudes toward their needs. By putting their words to music, Owen wants his audience to listen more attentively to opinions of the stakeholders in the schools threatened with closure. McGrath wants his audience to side with those dispossessed by the combined power of capital and law. The Dumbartung Aboriginal Corporation plans to emotionally move as well as to inform its community. In writing Broadwood , I meticulously presented both sides of the dispute, I deliberately placed music and metaphor at the service of Maori language, and I deliberately used the spatial suggestiveness of the stage to evoke possibilities in the ending. The boy is alone in the library while his classmates are on the marae listening to an elder explain the history of their meetinghouse. The elder gives them an ancient whalebone weapon to hold, the students pass it among themselves, then hold it out across space to the boy. The boy stands, takes half a cautious step toward them and then stops; the lights go down. I intended the audience to complete the action in their subconscious.

In each of these cases, the art form of the presentation allows the artist/researcher to manipulate affect as well as critical cognition. To my mind, this is not simply another iteration of the argument between subjectivity and objectivity in research. Many contemporary approaches to research openly recognize that knowledge is mediated by context, experience, and social and historical discourses as well as by individuals’ personal interpretation (Denzin & Lincoln, 2011 ; Ellis, 2004 ). It is shaped by what is left out as well as by what is included. The practice of careful and scrupulous reflexivity is a way of acknowledging and bounding the subjectivity of the researcher (Altheide & Johnson, 2011 ; Ellingson, 2011 ). The researcher-who-is-artist draws on a subconscious as well as a conscious sense of how things fit together, and constructs meaning subconsciously as well as consciously, manipulating affect and effect in the process. Perhaps all researchers do so to some extent. For instance, the deliberately invisible authors of much quantitative research, who allow the passive voice to carry much of the reporting, who triangulate and define limitation, create an effect of fair-minded and dependable authority. The affect is not necessarily misleading, and it is something that readers of research have learned to recognize. However, the researcher-who-is-artist can draw on the rich repertoire of an art field that already operates in the domain of the aesthetic as well as of the critically cognitive, in spaces that are liminal as well those that are defined. It is arguable that readers of research still need to recognize and navigate through those spaces. Arguably, the challenge exists not only in the field of research: it is present in all the media that surrounds our daily lives.

A/r/tography and Examination of Places Between

The challenge of exploring liminal spaces of intention, process, explanation, effect, and affect is seriously taken up by the emergent discipline of a/r/tography . The backslashes in the term speak of fracture; they also denote the combined authorial roles of artist, researcher, and teacher. Springgay, Irwin, and Kind ( 2005 ) explain that a/r/tography is deliberately introspective and does not seek conclusions: rather it plays with connections between art and text and seeks to capture the embodied experience of exploring self and the world. Irwin et al. ( 2006 ) state: “Together, the arts and education complement, resist, and echo one another through rhizomatic relations of living inquiry” (p. 70). A/r/tography is explicitly positioned as a practice-based and living inquiry: it explores but resists attempting to define the spaces between artist, teacher, and researcher, and so implicitly rejects boundaries between these roles. It conceptualizes inquiry as a continuing experiential process of encounter between ideas, art media, context, meaning, and evolving representations. At the same time as it blurs distinctions, it teases out interrelationships: it offers art inquiry as something that is purposeful but unfixed, and art knowing as something that is personally and socially useful, but at best only partially and temporarily describable, never definable. This is one reason why its proponents explain it as a substantively different and new methodology outside the existing frameworks of qualitative research.

A/r/tography emerged out of the field of art education, with the explicit aim to extend the opportunities afforded by education in the arts, and to develop means to record and report the complex facets of learning and teaching in the arts. Consequently its language may be experienced, by readers who are outside the discipline, as highly abstract, deliberately ambiguous, and even esoteric: it seems to speak, as many research disciplines do, primarily to others in its own field. However, its broad principles have been picked up, and perhaps adapted, by practitioners who seek to explore the processes of their students’ learning through the arts and the evolving understandings they develop. For instance, Barrett and Greenwood ( 2013 ) report exploration of the epistemological third space through which place-conscious education and visual arts pedagogy can be interwoven and through which students, many of whom do not aspire to become artists, can use art-making to re-imagine and re-mark their understandings of their physical and social context and of their relationship with community. The value of this kind of research is posed in terms of the insights it affords rather than its capacity for presenting authoritative conclusions.

A Conference Debate, and the Politics of Research

Whether the provision of insights is enough to make art-making into research is a question that is frequently and sometimes fiercely contested. One such debate took place at a European conference I recently attended. It occurred in an arts-based research stream, and it began with the presentation of two films. The films were relatively short, and a discussion followed and became increasingly heated. Personally, I liked the films. The first reported a dance process that became an undergraduate teaching text. The second, in layers of imagery and fragments of dialogue, explored the practice of two artists. However, I was not sure what the added value was in calling either research. I saw art responding to art, and that seemed valuable and interesting enough. Why was the construct of research being privileged? The filmmakers defended the claim to research on the grounds that there was inquiry, on the grounds that art spoke in languages that were best discussed through art, and on the grounds that research was privileged in their institutions. Then a respected professor of fine arts put forward more direct criticism. Research, he argued, needed to make explicit the decisions that were made in identifying and reporting findings so that these would be accessible for peer review. Neither film, he said, did so. Defenses from the audience were heated. Then another senior art educator argued that art itself could not just be self-referential: it had to open a space for others to enter. The debate continued in corridors long after the session ended.

That the criticisms were unrelenting seemed an indication of how much was at stake. The space held by arts-based research within the European academic congregation is still somewhat fragile. The arts-based network was formed because of advocates’ passionate belief in the extended possibilities that arts-based methods offer, and this year again it expressed its eagerness to receive contributions in film and other art media as well as PowerPoint and verbal presentations. However, the network also saw itself as a custodian of rigor.

The participants in the session re-performed an argument that lingers at the edges of arts-based research. At the far ends of the spectrum, art and research are readily recognizable, and when art is borrowed as a tool in research, the epistemological and methodological assumptions are explicable. But the ground is more slippery when art and research intersect more deeply. When is the inquiry embedded within art, and when does it become research? Is it useful to attempt demarcations? What is lost from art or from research if demarcations are not attempted? The questions, as well as possible answers, are, as Eisner suggested, political as well as philosophical and methodological.

The doing of research and its publication have become big academic business. Universities around the world are required to report their academics’ research outputs to gain funding. My university, for example, is subject to a six-yearly round of assessment of research performance, based primarily on published and on funded research outputs. Each academic’s outputs are categorized and ranked, and the university itself is ranked and funded, in comparison with the other universities in the country. There is pressure on each academic to maximize research publications, even at the cost, it often seems, of other important academic activities, such as teaching. The competitive means of ranking also increases contestations about what is real research, serving both as a stimulus for positioning differing forms of inquiry as research and as a guarded gateway that permits some entries and denies others. Politicians and policymakers, in their turn, favor and fund research that can provide them with quotable numbers or clear-cut conclusions. Arts-based research still battles for a place within this politico-academic ground, although there appears to be growing acceptance of the use of art tools as means to elicit data.

Site for Possibilities—and Questions

The politics of research do matter, but for researchers who are committed to doing useful research, there are other factors to consider when choosing research approaches. These include the potentialities of the tools, the matter that is to be investigated, and the skills and practice preferences of the researcher.

The emergence and development of processes of arts-based research are grounded in belief that there are many ways of knowing oneself and the world, and these include emotions and intuitive perceptions as well as intellectual cognition. The epistemology of arts-based research is based on understandings that color, space, sound, movement, facial expression, vocal tone, and metaphor are as important in expressing and understanding knowledge as the lexical meanings of words. It is based on understandings that symbols, signs, and patterns are powerful means of communication, and that they are culturally and contextually shaped and interpreted. Arts-based research processes tolerate, even sometimes celebrate, ambiguity and ambivalence. They may also afford license to manipulate emotions to evoke empathy or direct social action.

The use of arts-based processes for eliciting participants’ responses considerably increases researchers’ repertoire for engaging participants and for providing them with means of expression that allow them to access feelings and perceptions that they might not initially be able to put into words as well as giving them time and strategies for considering their responses. The use of arts-based processes for analysis and representation allow opportunities for multidimensional, sensory, and often communal explorations of the meaning of what has been researched. It also presents new challenges to receivers of research who need to navigate their way not only through the overt ambiguities and subjective expression, but also through the invisible layers of affect that are embedded in art processes.

The challenges signal continuing areas of discussion, and perhaps work, for both arts-based researchers and for the wider research community. Does the use of art in representation of research findings move beyond the scope of critical peer review? Or do we rather need to develop new languages and strategies for such review? Do we need critical and recursive debate about when art becomes research and when it does not? Are the ambiguities and cognitive persuasions that are inherent in arts-based representations simply other, and useful, epistemological stances? Does the concept of research lose its meaning if it is stretched too far? Does art, which already has a useful role in interpreting and even shaping society, need to carve out its position as research? Does the entry of arts-based research into the arena of research call for revisions to the way we consider ethics? How do the procedures of institutional ethics committees need to be adapted to accommodate the engagement of the human body as well as the emergent design and ambiguities of the arts-based research processes? What are the more complex responsibilities of arts-based researchers toward their participants, particularly in terms of cultural protocols, reciprocity of gains, and the manipulation of emotions and cognition through visually or dramatically powerful presentations?

The already existing and expanding contribution of arts-based researchers argues vigorously for the place of arts processes in our congregations of research discussion and production. Quite simply, the arts address aspects of being human that are not sufficiently addressed by other methodologies. They are needed in our repertoire of tools for understanding people and the world. However, like other research approaches, they bring new challenges that need to be recognized and debated.

Art History Resources

Guidelines for analysis of art.

Formal Analysis Paper Examples
Guidelines for Writing Art History Research Papers
Oral Report Guidelines
Annual Arkansas College Art History Symposium

Knowing how to write a formal analysis of a work of art is a fundamental skill learned in an art appreciation-level class. Students in art history survey and upper-level classes further develop this skill. Use this sheet as a guide when writing a formal analysis paper. Consider the following when analyzing a work of art. Not everything applies to every work of art, nor is it always useful to consider things in the order given. In any analysis, keep in mind: HOW and WHY is this a significant work of art?

Part I – General Information

In many cases, this information can be found on a label or in a gallery guidebook. An artist’s statement may be available in the gallery. If so, indicate in your text or by a footnote or endnote to your paper where you got the information.
Subject Matter (Who or What is Represented?)
Artist or Architect (What person or group made it? Often this is not known. If there is a name, refer to this person as the artist or architect, not “author.” Refer to this person by their last name, not familiarly by their first name.)
Date (When was it made? Is it a copy of something older? Was it made before or after other similar works?)
Provenance (Where was it made? For whom? Is it typical of the art of a geographical area?)
Location (Where is the work of art now? Where was it originally located? Does the viewer look up at it, or down at it? If it is not in its original location, does the viewer see it as the artist intended? Can it be seen on all sides, or just on one?)
Technique and Medium (What materials is it made of? How was it executed? How big or small is it?)

Part II – Brief Description

In a few sentences describe the work. What does it look like? Is it a representation of something? Tell what is shown. Is it an abstraction of something? Tell what the subject is and what aspects are emphasized. Is it a non-objective work? Tell what elements are dominant. This section is not an analysis of the work yet, though some terms used in Part III might be used here. This section is primarily a few sentences to give the reader a sense of what the work looks like.

Part III – Form

This is the key part of your paper. It should be the longest section of the paper. Be sure and think about whether the work of art selected is a two-dimensional or three-dimensional work.

Art Elements

Line (straight, curved, angular, flowing, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, contour, thick, thin, implied etc.)
Shape (what shapes are created and how)
Light and Value (source, flat, strong, contrasting, even, values, emphasis, shadows)
Color (primary, secondary, mixed, complimentary, warm, cool, decorative, values)
Texture and Pattern (real, implied, repeating)
Space (depth, overlapping, kinds of perspective)
Time and Motion

Principles of Design

Unity and Variety
Balance (symmetry, asymmetry)
Emphasis and Subordination
Scale and Proportion (weight, how objects or figures relate to each other and the setting)
Mass/Volume (three-dimensional art)
Function/Setting (architecture)
Interior/Exterior Relationship (architecture)

Part IV – Opinions and Conclusions

This is the part of the paper where you go beyond description and offer a conclusion and your own informed opinion about the work. Any statements you make about the work should be based on the analysis in Part III above.

In this section, discuss how and why the key elements and principles of art used by the artist create meaning.
Support your discussion of content with facts about the work.

General Suggestions

Pay attention to the date the paper is due.
Your instructor may have a list of “approved works” for you to write about, and you must be aware of when the UA Little Rock Galleries, or the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Galleries (formerly Arkansas Arts Center) opening April 2023, or other exhibition areas, are open to the public.
You should allow time to view the work you plan to write about and take notes.
Always italicize or underline titles of works of art. If the title is long, you must use the full title the first time you mention it, but may shorten the title for subsequent listings.
Use the present tense in describing works of art.
Be specific: don’t refer to a “picture” or “artwork” if “drawing” or “painting” or “photograph” is more exact.
Remember that any information you use from another source, whether it be your textbook, a wall panel, a museum catalogue, a dictionary of art, the internet, must be documented with a footnote. Failure to do so is considered plagiarism, and violates the behavioral standards of the university. If you do not understand what plagiarism is, refer to this link at the UA Little Rock Copyright Central web site: https://ualr.edu/copyright/articles/?ID=4
For proper footnote form, refer to the UA Little Rock Department of Art website, or to Barnet’s A Short Guide to Writing About Art, which is based on the Chicago Manual of Style. MLA style is not acceptable for papers in art history.
Allow time to proofread your paper. Read it out loud and see if it makes sense. If you need help on the technical aspects of writing, contact the University Writing Center at 501-569-8343 or visit the Online Writing Lab at https://ualr.edu/writingcenter/
Ask your instructor for help if needed.

Further Information

For further information and more discussions about writing a formal analysis, see the following sources. Some of these sources also give information about writing a research paper in art history – a paper more ambitious in scope than a formal analysis.

M. Getlein, Gilbert’s Living with Art (10th edition, 2013), pp. 136-139 is a very short analysis of one work.

M. Stokstad and M. W. Cothren, Art History (5th edition, 2014), “Starter Kit,” pp. xxii-xxv is a brief outline.

S. Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing About Art (9th edition, 2008), pp. 113-134 is about formal analysis; the entire book is excellent for all kinds of writing assignments.

R. J. Belton, Art History: A Preliminary Handbook http://www.ubc.ca/okanagan/fccs/about/links/resources/arthistory.html is probably more useful for a research paper in art history, but parts of this outline relate to discussing the form of a work of art.

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What is Art? - A research on the concept and perception of Art in the 21st Century

The concept of Art and Artist has had a continuous evolution and countless definitions throughout history. But, are there really common concepts to define and perceive them in ancient and classic art as well as in modern? This thesis focuses on the current (year 2017) perception of what is considered art and what is considered an artist by ordinary people, out of what art and philosophy books tell.

Related Papers

Most modern definitions of art fail to successfully address the issue of the ever-changing nature of art, and rarely even attempt to provide an account which would be valid in more than just the modern Western context. This article develops a new theory which preserves the advantages of its predecessors, solves or avoids their problems, and has a scope wide enough to account for art of different times and cultures. An object is art in a given context, it is argued, iff some person(s) culturally competent in this context afforded it the status of a candidate for appreciation for reasons considered good in this context. This weakly institutional view is supplemented by auxiliary definitions explaining the notions of cultural contexts, competence and good reasons for affording the status. The relativisation to contexts brings increased explanatory power and scope, and the ability to account for the diversity of art.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Journal of Arts and Humanities

Zachary Isrow

Art is a creative phenomenon which changes constantly, not just insofar as it is being created continually, but also in the very meaning of ‘art.’ Finding a suitable definition of art is no easy task and it has been the subject of much inquiry throughout artistic expression. This paper suggests a crucial distinction between ‘art forms’ and ‘forms of art’ is necessary in order to better understand art. The latter of these corresponds to that which we would typically call art such as painting, singing, etc. The former corresponds to the form out of which these take shape, movement, speech, etc. With this distinction set out, it becomes clearer that art and the aesthetic is rooted in the properties of the ‘thing’ such as the color, shape, and the texture, rather than the product of creation itself. Thus, the future of art will bring a new aesthetic in which these properties become recognized as art and as such there will be an aesthetic of everyday life.

Jakob Zaaiman

The traditional conception of art is about sensual beauty and refined taste; modern art on the other hand has introduced an entirely unexpected dimension to the visual arts, namely that of 'revelatory narrative'. Classical art aspires to present works which can be appreciated as sensually beautiful; modern art, when it succeeds, presents us instead with the unsettling narrative. This radical difference in artistic purpose is something relatively new, and not yet fully appreciated or understood.

Journal of the Institute of Engineering

Alexandra Mouriki

Thomas Adajian

Roczniki Kulturoznawcze

Andrzej Derdziuk

The presented statement is part of the volume it covers a variety of responses from people who interact with art in different ways. The aim is to suggest to the participant of the contemporary world a new, personal perspective to rethink what is this area of our world that we label with art; thoughts with and without theoretical suggestions - reflections by the creators and reflections by the audience, teaching humility and uniqueness, perhaps - forming a fresh perspective on art.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Who made the paintings: artists or artificial intelligence the effects of identity on liking and purchase intention.

$\r\nLi Gu$

Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Guangzhou, China

Investigating how people respond to and view AI-created artworks is becoming increasingly crucial as the technology’s current application spreads due to its affordability and accessibility. This study examined how AI art alters people’s evaluation, purchase intention, and collection intention toward Chinese-style and Western-style paintings, and whether art expertise plays a role. Study 1 recruited participants without professional art experience (non-experts) and found that those who made the paintings would not change their liking rating, purchase intention, and collection intention. In addition, they showed ingroup preference, favoring Chinese-style relative to Western-style paintings, in line with previous evidence on cultural preference in empirical aesthetics. Study 2 further investigated the modulation effect of art expertise. Art experts evaluated less favorably (less liking, lower purchase, and collection intentions) AI-generated paintings relative to artist-made paintings, while non-experts showed no preference. There was also an interaction effect between the author and the art expertise and interaction between the painting style and the art expertise. Collectively, the findings in this study showed that who made the art matters for experts and that the painting style affects aesthetic evaluation and ultimate reception of it. These results would also provide implications for AI-art practitioners.

The development of full AI (artificial intelligence) could spell the end of the human race.

— Stephen Hawking

Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting humankind in various aspects. In recent years, scientists have been dedicated to generating creative products such as poetry, stories, jokes, music, paintings, and so on. For instance, taking advantage of Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN), Elgammal et al. (2017) built a new system to generate art by learning about styles and deviating from style norms. Astonishingly, human subjects could not distinguish paintings generated by this system from paintings made by contemporary artists ( Elgammal et al., 2017 ). Although the art-generating agent is mature enough to deceive our eyes (for a review, see Cetinic and She, 2021 ), a more thought-provoking question is whether it could capture our minds.

Many discussions have been held on the value of artworks created by AI ( Ploin et al., 2022 ). Previous studies have focused on comparing AI-created and artist-made artworks such as paintings ( Chamberlain et al., 2018 ; Hong and Curran, 2019 ; Gangadharbatla, 2021 ), performing arts ( Darda and Cross, 2022b ), and music ( Moffat and Kelly, 2006 ). Researchers are interested in the following three important issues: whether observers could distinguish art generated by AI from those made by humans; whether a bias against AI-created artworks exists; and whether art experience plays a role. First, concerning the ability of observers to discern between computer and man-made art, most prior studies showed that observers could not differentiate between computer-generated and man-made art ( Chamberlain et al., 2018 ; Gangadharbatla, 2021 ; Darda and Cross, 2022b ), while Moffat and Kelly (2006) found that participants could differentiate musical pieces composed by a computer from those composed by humans. Second, a bias against AI-generated artworks has been proven in previous studies. For instance, both implicit and explicit biases against computer-generated paintings were found in Chamberlain et al. (2018) , that is, participants perceived paintings categorized as computer-generated by them had lower aesthetic value, irrespective of whether they rated or categorized the paintings first. Third, prior research on art expertise and aesthetics has shown that art experts and non-experts appreciate art differently ( Hekkert and Van Wieringen, 1996 ; Leder et al., 2012 ; Bimler et al., 2019 ). Researchers demonstrated that art experts gave higher ratings to artworks ( Leder et al., 2012 ) and showed a much higher level of comprehension than beginners ( Leder et al., 2004 ; Mullennix and Robinet, 2018 ). A few studies have explored the role of expertise in modulating the bias against AI-generated artworks ( Moffat and Kelly, 2006 ; Chamberlain et al., 2018 ; Darda and Cross, 2022b ). Moffat and Kelly (2006) showed that musicians had a heightened bias against computer-generated musical pieces than non-musicians, whereas Chamberlain et al. (2018) found no modulation effect of art education.

Another line of research in empirical aesthetics, including behavioral studies ( Belke et al., 2010 ; Hawley-Dolan and Winner, 2011 ; Mastandrea and Umiltà, 2016 ; Mastandrea and Crano, 2019 ) and neuroimaging studies ( Kirk et al., 2009 ; Silveira et al., 2015 ), investigated framing effects by exploring how labels and titles influence aesthetic processing and evaluations. For instance, Mastandrea and Crano (2019) demonstrated that artworks said to be created by famous artists were appreciated more than the same artworks attributed to non-famous artists, being judged more interesting and beautiful. Silveira et al. (2015) investigated whether a socially defined context would set a mental frame that modulates the neurocognitive processing of artworks. Participants were presented with identical abstract paintings from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York that were labeled as being either from the MoMA or from an adult education center. Higher neural activation was found when they were evaluating artworks from the MoMA than the education center. Kirk et al. (2009) labeled images as either originating from an art gallery or generated by a computer program (Photoshop) and presented images to participants. They found that participants’ aesthetic ratings were significantly higher for stimuli viewed in the “art gallery” than in “computer program” contexts. Overall, these findings indicate that mental frames play a role in aesthetic evaluations.

In addition, while much research has focused on participants’ perceptions of and biases toward AI-generated artworks, several bodies of research explored the ingroup bias in aesthetic evaluations (for a review, see Che et al., 2018 ). Prior behavioral and neurological evidence consistently indicated cultural preference (ingroup bias) in aesthetic evaluations ( Bao et al., 2016 ; Yang et al., 2019 ), that is, people showed a tendency to like artworks originating from one’s own culture more than another culture. Individuals may feel a sense of cultural identity and belongingness when looking at artworks from their own culture and therefore gave higher aesthetic ratings compared to those from another culture ( Bao et al., 2016 ). People showed ingroup bias in evaluating artwork, especially when they lack art-related expertise and experience ( Mastandrea et al., 2021 ), which could be accounted for by the uncertainty-identity theory ( Hogg, 2007 , 2015 ). The uncertainty-identity theory is an extension of social identity theory that proposes uncertainty reduction as a major driving force behind group and intergroup actions and social identity processes ( Hogg, 2007 ). According to this theory, people try to lessen their feelings of uncertainty about and connection to themselves through group identification, which would promote ingroup bias in behavior and attitudes.

The present research

In 2018, a painting called Portrait of Edmond Belamy, created by AI, rocked the art world, selling for $432,500 at Christie’s. Art, as an investment, is embedded with financial attributes. It is essential to understand people’s evaluations and ultimate reception of it. Thus, indicators of paintings’ value, such as purchase intention and collection intention, are worth noting, besides the aesthetic rating. For instance, Gangadharbatla (2021) measured purchase intention as well as the evaluation of artworks. Thus, the current studies measured participants’ liking ratings, purchase intentions, and collection intentions.

People’s ingroup bias in the context of AI-generated artworks and the modulation of art expertise warrants greater understanding. We conducted two studies to explore these questions in this study. The aim of study 1 was to explore the influence of the author (AI and human artists) and the style (Western and Chinese) of paintings in the aesthetic evaluations of Chinese participants without art-related experience or expertise. In line with previous research on the bias against artworks created by machine/AI (e.g., Chamberlain et al., 2018 ) and the framing effect, we expected a bias against AI-generated paintings irrespective of whether they were of Western or Chinese style. Moreover, based on findings in Mastandrea et al. (2021) and uncertainty-identity theory, we predict that people might be uncertain about the AI-generated context and may resort to cultural identity as an art appreciation heuristic, therefore showing a higher preference for Chinese-style than Western-style AI-generated paintings. Together, our first hypothesis (H1) includes (H1a) Chinese participants showed an overall bias against AI-generated paintings irrespective of whether they were Western or Chinese style; (H1b) Chinese participants favored Chinese-style paintings more than Western-style paintings; and (H1c) participants showed a greater ingroup bias in the context of AI-generated paintings.

Previous evidence suggests that people who are interested in art concur in their aesthetic judgments irrespective of their cultural backgrounds ( Child, 1965 ; Iwao and Child, 1966 ; Iwao et al., 1969 ). Moreover, previous research showed an ingroup bias for dance, but not for paintings, and also the modulation role of art expertise ( Darda and Cross, 2022a ). The aim of study 2 was to explore the influence of the author (AI and human artists) and the style (Western and Chinese) of paintings in aesthetic evaluations and whether it would be modulated by art expertise. Our second hypothesis (H2) extends H1 to incorporate the modulation effect of art expertise, and a three-way interaction would be tested. We first focused on the difference between human-artist and AI-created art for experts only (H2a), then the preference of non-experts toward different styles of paintings (H2b), and the difference between experts and non-experts in evaluating AI-generated paintings (H2c). Together, H2 includes (H2a) art experts showed a greater bias against AI-generated paintings irrespective of whether the painting was in Western or Chinese style; (H2b) non-experts favored Chinese-style paintings more than Western-style paintings irrespective of whether the painting was AI-generated or artist-made; and (H2c) art experts evaluated AI-generated paintings lower than non-experts.

Study 1 explored whether the author of paintings (AI and human artists) and art style (Western and Chinese) influence individuals’ perceptions of paintings.

Materials and methods

Design and participants.

Study 1 employed a two-factor mixed-subject design, with the author of paintings (AI art and human artists) as the between-subject factor and the art style (Western and Chinese) as the within-subject factor. Study data were collected from wenjuanxing 1 in China. As a professional survey company that provides online questionnaires and data collection services, Wenjuanxing has 2.6 million registered members on the platform. All participants were assured that the survey was completely anonymous and confidential, and they were informed that there were no right or wrong answers. A total of 106 participants were recruited online, and they all completed the study via the Wenjuanxing platform. The online study took approximately 10 min to complete. Participants first completed an online consent form and a question about their background in art. If the participant responded yes to the question “Have you ever received art-related training or worked in art-related areas?” the questionnaire would skip to the end. All participants reported no professional art-related experience in study 1. The average age of participants was 42.35 years ( SD = 7.41; range 21–50 years), and 39 were identified as men and 67 as women. Most held 4-year college degrees or higher (59.4% had 4-year college degrees, 9.4% had master’s degrees, and 3.8% had doctoral degrees).

The stimuli consisted of 12 high-quality digital paintings (6 were Western style and 6 were Chinese style), including landscape pictures, portraits, and abstract drawings. Following previous research ( Mastandrea et al., 2021 ), the proportions and brightness of the stimuli were in accord with the original format of each painting. The painting sizes and resolution in the display were between 18 and 54 cm in height and between 14 and 24 cm in width, with 72 dpi. All paintings were of similar dimensions, except for one Western-style landscape picture. Half of these paintings were randomly selected and presented to participants. All paintings were made by human artists who were acknowledged in the painting area but were not well-known to the popular. A pilot ( N = 20) was conducted to exclude the confounding effect that these paintings might be recognized especially by art experts. Both non-experts ( N = 7) and art experts ( N = 13; majoring in design and art education) reported that they could not recognize the paintings. This study manipulated the author of paintings (AI art and human artists) by describing the paintings based on the participant’s assigned condition before evaluation. In the AI art condition, the participants read a description of the technology used in art and were told that the paintings were generated by “AlphaART” based on learning original paintings. In the artist-made condition, participants were told that the paintings were done by famous artists. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, with 53 participants in the AI art condition and 53 participants in the human artist condition.

Following Reymond et al. (2020) , we measured participants’ liking of a painting with a rating slider displayed below the image, offering the possibility to rate the paintings from 0 to 100 (0 = “not at all,” 100 = “very much”).

The willingness to buy and the willingness to collect

This study measured the willingness to buy a scale (I want to buy this painting; The likelihood of my purchasing this painting is high; The probability that I would buy this painting is high; α = 0.96) using a three-item scale adopted from Dodds et al. (1991) , and the purchase intention was calculated by averaging scores on these three items. Furthermore, the willingness to collect (I want to collect this painting; I think this painting is worth collecting; α = 0.94) was measured using a two-item scale, and the collection intention was calculated by averaging scores on these two items. For all items, agreement with the statements was assessed on a Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 = totally disagree to 7 = totally agree.

Data analysis

Greenhouse-Geisser corrections were applied to repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) analyses. Partial eta-squared (η p 2 ) was used as a measure of effect size, with values of 0.01, 0.06, and 0.14 indicating small, medium, and large effects, respectively ( Cohen, 2013 ). Effect sizes were reported using Cohen’s d z for within-subject comparisons ( Lakens, 2013 ). All t -tests were two-tailed. ANOVAs, simple tests, and t -tests were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, United States).

Liking of paintings

To investigate the effect of the author and style on participants’ liking of paintings, we ran a 2 (author: AI vs. human artists) × 2 (Style: Western vs. Chinese style) ANOVA (refer to Figure 1 ), with the former as a between-subject factor and the latter as a within-subject factor. The analysis revealed a significant main effect of the painting style [ F (1, 104) = 9.47, p = 0.003, η p 2 = 0.08], and the main effect of the author and their interaction effect was non-significant. Although the interaction effect was not significant, we conducted post-hoc tests (paired-t tests) to verify H1c. Results indicate that the liking of AI-generated Chinese paintings was greater than the liking of AI-generated Western paintings, t (52) = 3.45, p = 0.001, while no significant difference was found between Chinese and Western paintings made by artists, t (52) = 1.11, p = 0.272 (refer to Table 1 ).

Figure 1. Mean values for the four conditions (author: AI vs. human artists; style: Western vs. Chinese style) in study 1. Participants gave higher ratings for Chinese-style paintings (A) and showed higher purchase intention (B) and collection intention (C) for Chinese-style paintings. Error bars stand for ± S.E.M.

Table 1. Mean values of liking ratings, purchase intention, and collection intention toward paintings in different conditions.

Purchase intention and collection intention of paintings

For purchase intention and collection intention, 2 (author: AI vs. human artists) × 2 (style: Western vs. Chinese style) ANOVA tests indicated consistent results. The analysis revealed a significant painting style effect [purchase intention: F (1, 104) = 13.54, p < 0.001, η p 2 = 0.12; collection intention: F (1, 104) = 17.14, p < 0.001, η p 2 = 0.14], and the main effect of author and interaction effect were non-significant. Paired-t test (refer to Table 1 ) further indicated that the purchase and collection intention of AI-generated Chinese painting was greater than AI-generated Western painting [purchase intention: t (52) = 3.55, p = 0.001; collection intention: t (52) = 3.93, p < 0.001]. Moreover, the purchase and collection intention of artist-made Chinese painting was greater than artist-made Western painting [purchase intention: t (52) = 2.10, p = 0.041; collection intention: t (52) = 2.42, p = 0.019].

Results in study 1 showed that the main effect of the author under hypothesis H1a was not significant, suggesting that there was no bias against AI-generated paintings. In addition, the main effect of the painting style was significant, supporting H1b. Chinese participants favored Chinese-style paintings more than Western-style paintings. Although the interaction of the author and the style was not significant, we conducted a post-hoc analysis to verify the proposed H1c. Evidence suggests that participants preferred AI-generated Chinese-style paintings to AI-generated Western-style paintings. Specifically, they showed more purchase and collection intentions toward Chinese-style than Western-style paintings, no matter whether the paintings were AI-generated or artist-made. For the liking rating, participants gave a higher rating for AI-generated Chinese-style than Western-style paintings, while no significant preference for artist-made paintings was found.

In Study 2, we further explored the effect of art expertise on painting liking, purchase intention, and collection intention. We recruited participants with art experience from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts (students and teachers majoring in design or art education), which is the only higher art institution in southern China approved by the Ministry of Education. Participants without art experience (non-experts) were recruited from Jinan University in the same city (students and teachers majoring in management). Participants first completed an online consent form and a question about their background in art. If the participant responded yes to the question “Have you ever received art-related training or worked in art-related areas?” they were labeled as art experts, otherwise labeled as non-experts. Participants completed the study online via the Wenjuanxing platform, and it took approximately 10 min to complete.

Study 2 employed a three-factor mixed-subject design, with the art expertise (experts and non-experts) and the author of paintings (AI art and human artists) as the between-subject factors and the art style (Western style and Chinese style) as the within-subject factor. A total of 301 participants were recruited, and 2 participants failed to complete it. Thus, 299 participants were included in the final analysis. The average age of participants was 28.20 years ( SD = 10.19; range 18–50), and 134 were identified as men and 165 as women. Participants consisted of 143 experts (mean age: 27.34, SD = 10.73) and 156 non-experts (mean age: 28.99, SD = 9.64), and there was no difference between the two groups in age or education (age: paired t -test, p = 0.162; education level: Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.112). Stimuli, procedure, and measures adopted in study 2 were the same as that in study 1. The reliability of the willingness to buy a scale and the willingness to collect were both over 0.90.

For the liking of paintings, we ran a 2 (art expertise: experts vs. non-experts) × 2 (author: AI vs. human artists) × 2 (style: Western vs. Chinese style) ANOVA, with the former two as between-subject factors and the latter as a within-subject factor. The analysis revealed a significant main effect of the author effect [ F (1, 295) = 8.09, p = 0.005, η p 2 = 0.03], a significant interaction effect of the author and the art expertise [ F (1, 295) = 3.90, p = 0.049, η p 2 = 0.01], and a significant interaction effect of the style and the art expertise [ F (1, 295) = 10.42, p = 0.001, η p 2 = 0.03]. Neither the main effect of the style, the main effect of the art expertise, nor the interaction effect of the style and the author, the interaction effect of the three factors were significant ( Fs < 3.59, ps > 0.05).

The results of the author and the art expertise interaction are presented in Figure 2A , and mean values are listed in Table 2 (left panel). Simple effect analysis further showed that experts showed more liking toward artist-made paintings than AI-generated paintings, F (1, 296) = 11.53, p = 0.001; and no difference was found for non-experts, F (1, 296) = 0.43, p = 0.515. Moreover, experts showed less liking toward AI-generated paintings than non-experts, F (1, 296) = 5.72, p = 0.017; and no difference was found for artist-made paintings, F (1, 296) = 0.04, p = 0.832.

Figure 2. Author (AI and artist) by art expertise (experts and non-experts) interaction. Consistent results were found for liking rating (A) , purchase intention (B) , and collection intention (C) . Error bars stand for ± S.E.M.

Table 2. Mean values of liking ratings, purchase intention, and collection intention toward paintings.

The results of the painting style and the art expertise interaction are presented in Figure 3A , and mean values are listed in Table 2 . Simple effect analysis showed that non-experts showed more liking toward Chinese-style paintings, F (1, 297) = 7.27, p = 0.007 than experts, but not for Western-style paintings, F (1, 297) = 0.01, p = 0.943. Experts showed more liking toward Western-style than Chinese-style paintings, F (1, 297) = 7.51, p = 0.007, and non-experts showed no preference in liking, F (1, 297) = 3.50, p = 0.062.

Figure 3. Painting style (Western style and Chinese style) by art expertise (experts and non-experts) interaction. Consistent results were found for liking rating (A) , purchase intention (B) , and collection intention (C) . Error bars stand for ± S.E.M.

For purchase intention and collection intention, a 2 (art expertise: experts vs. non-experts) × 2 (author: AI vs. human artists) × 2 (style: Western vs. Chinese style) ANOVA indicated consistent results. The analysis revealed a significant main effect of the author effect [purchase intention: F (1, 295) = 3.95, p = 0.048, η p 2 = 0.01; collection intention: F (1, 295) = 13.77, p < 0.001, η p 2 = 0.05], a significant interaction effect of the author and the art expertise [purchase intention: F (1, 295) = 4.78, p = 0.029, η p 2 = 0.02; collection intention: F (1, 295) = 8.38, p = 0.004, η p 2 = 0.03], and a significant interaction effect of the style and the art expertise [purchase intention: F (1, 295) = 15.28, p < 0.001, η p 2 = 0.05; collection intention: F (1, 295) = 21.71, p < 0.001, η p 2 = 0.07]. Neither the main effect of the style, the main effect of the art expertise, nor the interaction effect of the style and the author, the interaction effect of the three factors were significant ( Fs < 1.32, ps > 0.05).

For the interaction of the author and the art expertise, simple effect analysis on the purchase intention ( Figure 2B ) and collection intention ( Figure 2C ) revealed similar results. As expected, experts showed higher purchase and collection intentions toward artist-made paintings than AI-generated paintings ( Fs > 8.36, ps < 0.005), and no difference was found for non-experts ( Fs < 0.88, ps > 0.560). Besides, experts showed higher collection intention of artist-made paintings than non-experts, F (1, 296) = 5.36, p = 0.021; and no difference was found for AI-generated paintings, F (1, 296) = 2.12, p = 0.146. The purchase intention toward neither AI-generated paintings [ F (1, 296) = 2.26, p = 0.134] nor artist-made paintings [ F (1, 296) = 2.11, p = 0.148] was affected by art expertise.

For the interaction of the painting style and the art expertise, simple effect analysis on the purchase intention ( Figure 3B ) and collection intention ( Figure 3C ) also revealed similar results, except that experts were more willing to collect Western-style paintings than non-experts, F (1, 297) = 5.44, p = 0.020, but no difference in purchase intention. In addition, experts were more willing to buy and collect Western-style relative to Chinese-style paintings, F (1, 297) > 8.44, p < 0.004, while non-experts were more willing to buy and collect Chinese-style relative to Western-style paintings, F (1, 297) > 7.18, p < 0.008.

Collectively, art experts evaluated less favorably (less liking, lower purchase and collection intentions) AI-generated paintings relative to artist-made paintings, while non-experts showed no preference. Non-experts showed significantly higher purchase intention and collection intention toward Chinese-style paintings than Western-style paintings, but no difference in liking ratings, partially supporting H2b. Art experts evaluated AI-generated paintings lower than non-experts.

We investigated how AI art alters people’s liking, purchase intention, and collection intention toward Chinese-style and Western-style paintings, and whether art expertise plays a role. In study 1, several findings were revealed. One is that the main effect of the author under hypothesis H1a was not significant. Specifically, who made the art (AI vs. artists) would not influence evaluations, purchase intention, and collection intention toward paintings. Second, the main effect of painting style (ingroup preference) was revealed as hypothesized (H1b). Chinese participants favored Chinese-style paintings more than Western-style paintings. Third, although the interaction of the author and the style was not significant, we conducted post-hoc tests and found that participants preferred AI-generated Chinese-style paintings to AI-generated Western-style paintings in support of H1c. Study 2 further investigated the modulation effect of art expertise and found a significant main effect of the author, interaction of the author and the art expertise, and interaction of the style and the art expertise. In support of H2a, art experts evaluated less favorably (less liking, lower purchase and collection intentions) AI-generated paintings relative to artists-made paintings, while non-experts showed no preference. Non-experts showed significantly higher purchase intention and collection intention toward Chinese-style paintings than Western-style paintings, but no difference in liking ratings, partially supporting H2b. In support of H2c, art experts evaluated AI-generated paintings lower than non-experts. Overall, these findings partially supported our hypotheses.

We expected a bias against AI-generated paintings based on existing literature on the framing effect of labels or titles in empirical aesthetics ( Kirk et al., 2009 ; Belke et al., 2010 ; Hawley-Dolan and Winner, 2011 ; Silveira et al., 2015 ; Mastandrea and Umiltà, 2016 ; Mastandrea and Crano, 2019 ). However, participants (non-experts) in study 1 showed no bias against AI-generated paintings. One explanation was that the label “AI-generated” might make observers feel novel ( Israfilzade, 2020 ). Israfilzade (2020) found that abstract paintings were rated more novel and surprising when artificial intelligence accompanied the title, and no difference was found in terms of complexity, interestingness, and ambiguity arousal of the paintings. Moreover, participants in study 1 showed a preference for AI-generated Chinese-style to AI-generated Western-style paintings, in line with the uncertainty-identity hypothesis ( Mastandrea et al., 2021 ). They might be uncertain about the AI-generated context and may resort to cultural identity as an art appreciation heuristic.

As expected, non-experts in this research (study 1 and study 2) showed a preference for Chinese-style relative to Western-style paintings, indicating the existence of ingroup bias in aesthetic evaluations (for a review, refer to Che et al., 2018 ). However, art experts in study 2 showed a preference for Western-style paintings. One explanation might be that people who are interested in art concur in their aesthetic judgments irrespective of their cultural backgrounds ( Child, 1965 ; Iwao and Child, 1966 ; Iwao et al., 1969 ). This finding was consistent with results in Darda and Cross (2022a) , which found that art experts tended to agree in their judgments and showed lower ingroup preference than non-experts.

Additionally, we expected that art expertise modulated the bias against AI-generated paintings. As expected, we found a bias among art experts but not non-experts, in line with Darda and Cross (2022b) . However, this finding was inconsistent with Moffat and Kelly (2006) and Chamberlain et al. (2018) , which indicated a bias against computer-generated artworks by both experts and non-experts. One explanation for this discrepancy might be the stimuli adopted. We used artist-made paintings and labeled them as made by AI or artists. Chamberlain et al. (2018) selected paintings from computer art databases and matched them with man-made counterparts. The paintings used in our studies were of high artistic value, meanwhile avoiding being too well-known to be recognized by participants. Therefore, it is important to note that these findings should only be interpreted to the current image set and should not be broadened to the overall comparison of AI-generated and artist-made paintings.

Implications and limitations

As stated in Leder et al. (2012) , “Art is a unique feature of human experience. It involves the complex interplay among stimuli, persons, and contexts.” This may explain why the aesthetic appreciation of experts and non-experts differs to a great extent, and why the author of artworks matters to experts. The findings in this study offer support for the bias against AI-generated paintings and the modulation effect of art expertise, contributing to the framing effect and ingroup bias research in empirical aesthetics. In terms of applications, our findings also suggest that AI-related personnel, such as designers of websites and apps taking AI art as a focus, should consider how to decrease potential users’ bias against AI-generated paintings as well as enrich painting styles to meet individuals’ tastes and preferences. Increasing anthropomorphism of the “AI” system might be useful. Previous evidence suggested that viewing the creation of artwork by a robot increased aesthetic appreciation for it ( Chamberlain et al., 2018 ). It is worth noting that perceptions of AI anthropomorphicity can be manipulated by changing the language used to talk about AI—as a tool vs. agent ( Epstein et al., 2020 ). AI-enhanced, rather than AI-generated, has been used in the research report, and it is essential to emphasize that AI/machine was dedicated to helping unlock human creative potential ( Ploin et al., 2022 ).

Several limitations in this research should be addressed in future studies. First, the sample we recruited may have restricted the generalization of findings in the current studies. For ease of sampling, we collected data mainly from students and teachers in design and art education in China. Famous artists and a larger size of sample would be more appropriate. In addition, we only recruited Chinese participants for this research. It is preferable to recruit participants from both China and Western culture in future studies. Second, some relevant characteristics were not collected prior to the studies, such as the participants’ level of familiarity with Western-style and Chinese-style paintings, making it difficult to perform assessments of the specific effects of familiarity with paintings. The inclusion of characteristics such as this would add value to analyses in future studies. Third, although we conducted a pilot to make sure these paintings would not be recognized (author and name of the painting), especially by our sample population, several teachers reported that they might see the painting before even though they could not recall its name. Asking participants whether they recognized any of the paintings at the end of the study would be a better way to exclude the confounding effect.

Data availability statement

The data generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding authors on reasonable request.

Ethics statement

Ethical review and approval were not required for the study on human participants in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. Participants provided online informed consent before their enrollment in the study.

Author contributions

LG: conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, writing (original draft), and visualization. YL: conceptualization and writing (revision). Both authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

This research was supported by the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (2020A1515010610) to LG and the Art Project of the National Social Science Foundation of China (19BG110) to YL.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Hekkert, P., and Van Wieringen, P. C. (1996). Beauty in the eye of expert and nonexpert beholders: A study in the appraisal of art. Am. J. Psychol. 109, 389–407.

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Hogg, M. A. (2015). To belong or not to belong: Some self-conceptual and behavioural consequences of identity uncertainty. Rev. Psicol. Soc. 30, 586–613. doi: 10.1080/02134748.2015.1065090

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Israfilzade, K. (2020). What’s in a name? Experiment on the aesthetic judgments of art produced by artificial intelligence. J. Arts 3, 143–158. doi: 10.31566/arts.3.011

Iwao, S., and Child, I. L. (1966). Comparison of esthetic judgments by American experts and by Japanese potters. J. Soc. Psychol. 68, 27–33. doi: 10.1080/00224545.1966.9919662

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Keywords : artificial intelligence, painting style, art expertise, framing effect, liking, purchase intention

Citation: Gu L and Li Y (2022) Who made the paintings: Artists or artificial intelligence? The effects of identity on liking and purchase intention. Front. Psychol. 13:941163. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.941163

Received: 11 May 2022; Accepted: 11 July 2022; Published: 05 August 2022.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2022 Gu and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Li Gu, [email protected] ; Yong Li, [email protected]

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Preparing Your Best Artwork for Journals

Modern science has long relied on published manuscript articles as the primary vehicle to communicate research. An indispensable feature of nearly all manuscripts—especially in the natural sciences—is the inclusion of high-quality artwork 1 . Its purpose is to enhance the visual understanding of the reported research. Typically, such artwork combines two or more: line graphs (figures, chart), tables, GIS-maps, photo images, and conceptual illustrations. Some scientific domains, however, tend to use certain forms more than others (e.g., genetics/cell biologists rely on color figures and photographs, whereas ecologists rely mainly on line graphs, tables, as well as maps).

The digital revolution has permanently changed the way scientists prepare and submit their manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals. They no longer have to laboriously hand-draw their graphics and tables or spend scarce lab money on film-based photo plates, before printing and submitting their finished manuscript. Today, all journals are available online, where they accept only digital submissions of manuscripts and their artwork from authors.

Journal Requirements: Basic Aspects

In preparing your manuscript’s artwork, you must bear in mind that not all journals are alike. Indeed, a cursory review of several major journal publishers reveals differences in their artwork guidelines 1,2,3,4,5,6 (e.g., preferred color mode, line weighting, and formats for photographs [TIFF, PNG, EPS, or PDF]). Much like how the author style guidelines for text can vary substantially among journals, most have their own artwork guidelines to follow.

Early on in the research cycle, it is not necessary to dwell upon these, but when your manuscript is nearly ready for submission you should become familiar with your target journal’s guidelines. Authors should pay attention to several key aspects when preparing their artwork. Let’s quickly go over these.

Raster vs. vector images: These are two categories that your particular artwork file can take —vector types are preferred by most journals because of their higher-quality and scaling ability 3 .
Line thickness: In classic black-and-white figures, lines are drawn solid with no gray. Appropriate line weighting is an important consideration here, and generally, a little thicker is better.
Resolution: For “continuous-tone” images, which are typically used in science, mostly 300 dots-per-inch is the recommended lower threshold 1 . However, at publication, the resolution may vary whether the artwork is monochrome, combined halftones, or only halftones 3 .
File size: This will depend on the dimensions and the resolution of the artwork. Large file sizes (> 10 MB) for each artwork piece will likely encounter uploading problems.
Dimensions: Many journals will crop your artwork to fit their page 6 , or reduce it in size, which could make it illegible; hence, it is best to prepare your artwork at the width/length it would appear in print (in picas, inches, or cm) 3 .
Color mode: This aspect is often overlooked; however, it must be noted that RGB offers a greater range of colors than the CMYK space 3 .
Bars: Solid white or black, followed by patterning, is traditionally used 6 , but increasingly more gray and color are suitable. Nonetheless, do avoid 3D bars, which are unsightly. It is also important to properly draw mean error bars 7 (i.e., SE, SD, or 95% confidence or boxplot intervals).
Copyright: Mostly, your artwork is your own. But for those cases, such as published maps or illustrations, or photographs taken by others, due credit should be given.

Remember, although many journals are understandably less strict about adhering to their guidelines for peer review (e.g., accepting artwork compiled in a PDF), they will demand full compliance post-acceptance of your manuscript. 4

Important Dos and Don’ts

In order to save authors much grief and frustration—and likewise, for their target journal—it is worth reviewing what authors should do, and not do when preparing their digital artwork. The following should be avoided: using any graphics downloaded from the Internet, because their resolution is very low [typically 72 pixels-per-inch]; submitting images in a MS-PowerPoint file or using GIF, PNG, BMP, or PSD formats 1 ; saving re-edited JPEG images since compression discards some data 1 ; using any line art with a weight (thickness) less than 0.25 pt 2,3 .

Always use consistent font and text labeling throughout 2,6 ; make sure all the text in the artwork is editable by the journal 2 ; verify that the resolution of your files meets the journal’s standard 1 ; ensure that your artwork files are correctly labeled 1 , whether they are submitted in a single file or separately.

Finally, avoid submitting artwork—anywhere—that is made in MS-Excel. While helpful for data exploration and preliminary graphing, most reputable journals will frown upon this, or any MS-Office-made artwork, 5,6 which often comes across as unprofessional. Avoid it if you can!

Digital Graphics Tools

There are many software programs and platforms available to help prepare your artwork. In general, these graphics tools fall into two camps: freeware or fee-based licenses. For example, a well-known and easy-to-use program, which also performs basic statistical analyses, is Sigmaplot 8 ; but this product costs money and runs only on a PC. Conversely, a popular free platform is R 9 —it has gained an incredible following of users in science, enabling them to perform advanced statistics if needed, and to produce almost any type of line/symbol art conceivable (often with the help of downloadable packages and documents).

When working with photos, Adobe products come to mind, but these are expensive, especially for researchers based in developing countries. Two alternative tools for perfecting your photo artwork are ImageJ 10 and Irfanview 11 . Both are freeware, but the former includes many analytical options whereas the latter is useful for editing images.

After spending much time and effort conceiving and executing your study, analyzing data, thinking about the results, and writing the manuscript, it is tempting to neglect your artwork. Do not do this—many will glance through your artwork before deciding whether or not to download and read your paper, much less cite it. So strive to produce the best artwork you can!

The University of Chicago Press. Digital Art Digest for Authors . Retrieved from http://press.uchicago.edu/infoServices/artdigest.html
Duke University Press. Guidelines for Illustrators Preparing Artwork for Authors . Retrieved from https://www.dukeupress.edu/Assets/Downloads/dukeupress_illustratorguidelines_2013.pdf
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Digital Art Guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.pnas.org/site/misc/digitalart.pdf
Wiley Author Services. Review our Manuscript Preparation Guidelines. Retrieved from https://authorservices.wiley.com/author-resources/Journal-Authors/Prepare/manuscript-preparation-guidelines.html
The University of Wisconsin Press, Journals Division (2017, February 10) Preparation of Artwork for Submission . Retrieved from https://uwpress.wisc.edu/journals/preparing_illustrations.html
The University of Chicago Press Journals. Manuscript Preparation – Artwork . Retrieved from http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/cont/prep-art
Geoff Cumming, Fiona Fidler, and David L. Vaux (2007, April 9 ) Error bars in experimental biology. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2064100/

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333 Art Research Paper Topics & Ideas

18 January 2024

last updated

Art research paper topics cover a fascinating field, where numerous themes range from the study of specific artistic movements, periods, and styles to investigations into the socio-political context of art, including the use of new technologies in contemporary artistic practices. Various topics may explore the complexities of abstract expressionism, the intricacies of Renaissance art, or the cultural implications of street art. People may delve into the controversial world of art forgery, the influence of digital media on traditional art, or the role of women in the art world. Art from non-Western traditions, such as African or Asian art, offers many research possibilities. Moreover, cross-disciplinary subjects, like psychology of art, art therapy, or art in education, hold a valid potential. With such a broad study spectrum, art research paper topics provide a rich canvas for exploration, enabling scholars to gain a deeper understanding of human expression across cultures and throughout history.

Simple Art Research Paper Topics

Understanding Pointillism and Its Influence
Modernist Art: An Overview
Impressionism: Capturing Light and Moment
The Power of Portraiture in Art
A Glimpse Into the World of Sculpture
Unraveling the Intricacies of Calligraphy
Street Art: A Modern Phenomenon
Pop Art: Its Definition and Key Figures
Exploring the Art of Collage
Cubism: Breaking Down Traditional Forms
Oil Painting Techniques Throughout History
Watercolor: An Art Form Through the Ages
Frescoes: A Brief History and Technique
Art Nouveau: Characteristics and Key Artists
Expressionism: An Emotional Art Form
Exploration of Abstract Art Concepts
Art of Caricature: Humor in Visual Form
Artistic Influence of Surrealism
Graffiti: Street Art or Vandalism?

Interesting Art Research Paper Topics

Minimalism: The Power of Simplicity in Art
Fashion Illustration: A Creative Dialogue
Animation: Art in Motion
Exploring the Styles of Japanese Manga Art
Artificial Intelligence in the World of Art Creation
Film: Visual Storytelling as an Art
Analyzing the Use of Metaphors in Visual Art
Unraveling the Mysteries of Symbolism in Art
Digital Art: The Impact of Technology on Creativity
Psychedelic Art: A Window Into the Subconscious Mind
Mural Art and Community Expression
Emotional Response Triggered by Abstract Expressionism
Cultural Differences Reflected in Indigenous Art
Art Therapy: Healing Through Creation
Video Game Design: Art, Aesthetics, and Interaction
Body Art and Tattoos: A Cultural Perspective
Exploration of Artistic Activism
Art Market: Valuing Creativity and Aesthetics
Comparison of Eastern and Western Art Styles

Modern Art Research Topics

Decoding Cubism: Understanding Picasso and Braque
Surrealism: An Investigation Into the World of Dreams
Expressionism: Manifestation of Emotions in Modern Art
Analyzing Futurism: Speed, Technology and the Modern World
Exploring Dadaism: A Reaction to World War I
Conceptual Art: Ideas Over Aesthetics
Postmodern Art: Challenging Modernist Authority
Cybernetic Art: Intersection of Art and Technology
Street Art: An Unconventional Modern Canvas
Visual Culture and Gender in Modern Art
Digital Media’s Influence on Contemporary Art Practices
Art Installations: An Environment-Based Interpretation of Modern Art
Transformative Aspects of Performance Art
Appropriation in the Postmodern Art
Bauhaus Movement: Revolutionizing Art and Design
Abstract Expressionism: Freedom in Large-Scale Canvas
Study of Neo-Dada and Its Reflection on Society
Hyperrealism: The Imitation Game in Modern Art
Understanding the Pop Art Movement
Exploration of Minimalism: Art in Reduction

Art Research Topics on Ancient Civilizations

Egyptian Art: Symbolism and the Afterlife
Influence of Art on the Mayan Civilization
Decoding Symbols in Aztec Art
Analysis of Frescoes in Ancient Crete
Sculptural Art of the Ancient Greeks
Artistic Representation in Roman Architecture
Aesthetic Principles of Persian Art
Art in the Indus Valley Civilization
Carving Traditions in Ancient Polynesia
Unraveling the Art of the Ancient Incas
Exploring the Artistic Styles of Ancient Mesopotamia
Bronze Age Art in Scandinavia
Hellenistic Influence on Roman Art
Visual Narratives in Chinese Tomb Art
Art and Hieroglyphics in Ancient Egypt
Religious Influence on Byzantine Mosaics
Depiction of Gods in Ancient Hindu Art
Iconography in Ancient Celtic Art
Minoan Culture: Art and Archaeology

Artist Biography Research Topics

Vincent Van Gogh: A Life in Art
Artistic Vision of Leonardo da Vinci
Pablo Picasso: Cubism and Beyond
Exploration of Frida Kahlo’s Works
Salvador Dali: Surrealism Personified
Career Analysis of Rembrandt van Rijn
Personal Experiences in Georgia O’Keeffe’s Art
M.C. Escher: Master of Impossible Spaces
Depictions of Reality in Caravaggio’s Works
Life and Art of Claude Monet
Henri Matisse: The Joy of Fauvism
Artistic Innovations of Wassily Kandinsky
El Greco: Fusion of Byzantine and Western Art
Unraveling the Mysteries of Bosch’s Paintings
Paul Gauguin: From Paris to Tahiti
Exploring the Abstract Universe of Jackson Pollock
Journey through the Impressionism of Renoir
Analysis of Edward Hopper’s American Realism
Michelangelo’s Contribution to the Renaissance Art
The Life and Art of Auguste Rodin

Art Research Topics in Different Epochs

Baroque Art: Drama and Grandeur
Defining Characteristics of Romanticism in Art
Gothic Art: From Architecture to Illuminated Manuscripts
Byzantine Art and Its Cultural Significance
Transition Into Renaissance: A Shift in Artistic Style
Exploring Mannerism: Between Renaissance and Baroque
Art Deco: Elegance and Technological Progress
Impressionism: More than Light and Momentary Impressions
Abstract Expressionism: Freedom of Expression in Art
Fauvism: Bold Colors and Simplified Designs
Cubism: Changing Perspectives in Art
Surrealism: Unleashing the Power of the Unconscious
Art Nouveau: Nature in the Urban Environment
Pop Art: The Intersection of Art and Popular Culture
Neoclassicism: Rebirth of Ancient Traditions
Dada: An Art Movement of Protest
Expressionism: Emotions Over Realistic Representation
Futurism: Embracing the Energy of the Future
Post-Impressionism: Beyond the Limitations
Art of the Middle Ages: A Spiritual Journey

Compelling Renaissance Art Research Topics

Da Vinci’s Innovations in Art and Science
Botticelli and the Visual Interpretation of Mythology
Michelangelo’s Sculptures: Unraveling the Human Form
Portrayal of Women in Renaissance Art
Patronage System and Its Influence on Renaissance Art
Influence of Humanism on Renaissance Art
Differences in Northern and Italian Renaissance Art
Iconography in the Work of Hieronymus Bosch
Religious Themes in Renaissance Art
Exploring Perspective in the Paintings of Masaccio
Contrasting the Early and High Renaissance
Titian’s Contribution to Venetian Renaissance Art
Anatomy in Art: Lessons from Leonardo da Vinci
Understanding Raphael’s Use of Composition
Interpreting Allegory in Renaissance Art
The Architecture of the Renaissance: Brunelleschi’s Innovations
Renaissance Artistic Techniques: Chiaroscuro and Sfumato
El Greco’s Unique Approach in the Late Renaissance
Petrarch’s Influence on Renaissance Artists

Fascinating Photography in Art Research Topics

Pictorialism: Bridging Painting and Photography
Candid Street Photography: Reflections of Urban Life
Ansel Adams and the Majesty of Nature
History of Photojournalism: Truth in Images
Understanding Photomontage: From Dada to Today
Andy Warhol’s Use of Photography in Art
Diane Arbus: Confronting Norms Through Portraiture
War Photography: Documenting Humanity’s Dark Side
Evolution of Fashion Photography
Cinematic Aesthetics in Contemporary Photography
Study of Abstract Photography
Cindy Sherman and the Art of Self-Portraiture
HDR Photography: Artistic Merits and Criticisms
Photography’s Role in Constructing Identity
Exploring Ethereal Quality in Surrealist Photography
Vivian Maier: The Mystery of the Nanny Photographer
Exploring the Ethnographic Photography of Edward Curtis
Magnum Photos: Power of Collective Photography
Color Theory in Photography

Art Research Topics in Architecture

Gothic Architecture: Symbolism and Interpretation
Modernism in Architectural Design: Case Studies
Sustainable Architecture: Ecological Design Principles
Neoclassical Structures: Harmony and Order
Frank Lloyd Wright and the Concept of Organic Architecture
Brutalist Architecture: Power and Materiality
Architectural Marvels of Ancient Rome
Islamic Architecture: Geometric Patterns and Spiritual Symbolism
Deconstructivism: Challenging Traditional Architecture
Feng Shui Principles in Eastern Architecture
Revival Architectural Styles: Romanticism and Identity
Digital Architecture: Advances and Implications
Critical Regionalism: Adapting Modernism to Local Contexts
Bauhaus Movement: Intersection of Art, Craft, and Technology
Architectural Acoustics: Sound Design in Concert Halls
Sacred Spaces: Religious Influence on Architecture
Adaptive Reuse in Architecture: Redefining Existing Structures
Biomimicry in Architecture: Inspiration From Nature
Futurist Architecture: Imagining the City of Tomorrow
Art Nouveau Architecture: Organic Forms and Decorative Detailing

Art Research Topics About Theater

Elizabethan Theater: Innovation and Influence
Brechtian Theatre: Alienation Effect and Its Significance
Musical Theatre: Fusion of Art Forms
Greek Tragedy: Power and Catharsis
Commedia Dell’arte: Improvisation and Character Masks
Kabuki Theatre: Cultural Symbolism in Japan
Shakespearean Plays: Intricate Character Analysis
Modernist Theatre: Interpretation and Vision
Noh Theatre: Minimalist Aesthetics and Spirituality
Symbolism in French Theater: Maeterlinck and Claudel
Realism in Ibsen’s Theater: Social Critique
Absurdist Drama: Beckett, Ionesco, and Pinter
Ancient Roman Theater: Performance and Spectacle
Black Theater Movement: Social Change and Expression
Postmodern Performance: Hybridity and Intertextuality
Theater of the Oppressed: Augusto Boal’s Revolutionary Technique
Puppet Theater: Artistry Beyond Actors
Theater Criticism: Methods and Perspectives
Contemporary Immersive Theater: Audience Participation

Art Research Topics for Different Cultures

African Art: Aesthetics and Meaning in Yoruba Sculpture
Japanese Art: Wabi-Sabi and the Beauty of Imperfection
Australian Indigenous Art: Symbols and Dreamtime Stories
Russian Avant-Garde: Transformation of Artistic Language
Middle Eastern Islamic Art: Geometry and Calligraphy
Native American Art: Symbolism and Spiritual Traditions
Cuban Art: Politics and Expression after the Revolution
Chinese Art: Brushwork in Traditional Ink Painting
Mexican Muralism: Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros
South Asian Art: The Divine in Hindu Iconography
Greek Art: Harmony and Proportions in Classical Sculpture
Polynesian Art: Tattoos and Cultural Identity
Art of Ancient Egypt: Ritual and the Afterlife
Korean Art: Celadon Ceramics and Buddhist Influence
European Medieval Art: Illuminated Manuscripts
Art of the Inuit: Life and Mythology in Sculpture
Brazilian Graffiti: Street Art as Political Commentary
Art of the Maori: Carving, Weaving, and Tattooing
Byzantine Art: Icons and Mosaics in Christian Worship
Modern Persian Art: Negotiating Tradition and Modernity

Art History Research Paper Topics

Artistic Paradigms in Late Antiquity: A Shift towards Christianity
Baroque Art: Caravaggio’s Naturalism and Dramatic Lighting
Impressionism: Monet’s En Plein Air Technique
Surrealism: Dali’s Dreamscapes and the Subconscious Mind
Postmodernism: Koons and the Commodification of Art
Abstract Expressionism: Pollock’s Action Painting
Cubism: Picasso’s Deconstruction of Form
Renaissance Humanism: Anatomy in Leonardo’s Drawings
Romanticism: Turner’s Sublime Landscapes
Neoclassicism: David’s Use of Greco-Roman Themes
Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood: Rejection of Industrial Age Aesthetics
Art Nouveau: Mucha and the Integration of Art and Life
Fauvism: Matisse’s Bold Use of Color
German Expressionism: Kirchner’s Response to Urbanization
Dadaism: Duchamp’s Readymades and the Challenge to Artistic Convention
Pop Art: Warhol’s Reflections on Consumer Culture
Gothic Architecture: Chartres Cathedral’s Stained Glass
Arts and Crafts Movement: Morris’s Return to Handicrafts
Futurism: Boccioni’s Dynamism and the Machine Age

Art Therapy Research Topics

Art Therapy in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Creative Approach
Artistic Expression as a Coping Mechanism for Trauma Survivors
Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Art Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Art Therapy for Anxiety Disorders
Integrating Mindfulness Techniques in Art Therapy
Art Therapy in Pediatric Oncology: Aiding Expression and Understanding
Clinical Art Therapy and Autism Spectrum Disorder
Art Therapy Interventions for Individuals with Schizophrenia
Artistic Creation as a Medium for Self-Expression in Depression
Group Art Therapy in Substance Abuse Treatment
Phototherapy: Exploring Personal Narratives through Photography
Art Therapy and Neurological Rehabilitation: A Stroke Case Study
Utilizing Art Therapy in Grief Counseling
Art Therapy as a Modality in the Treatment of Eating Disorders
Clinical Assessment through Art Therapy: Indicators and Interpretations
Sand Tray Therapy: A Nonverbal Therapeutic Approach
Expressive Art Therapy in Palliative Care: Enhancing Quality of Life
Biblio-Art Therapy: Integrating Literature in Therapeutic Practice
Virtual Reality and Art Therapy: Exploring New Horizons
Holistic Healing: Integrating Yoga and Art Therapy

Pop Art Research Topics

Andy Warhol: King of Pop Art
Consumerism in Pop Art: A Critical Analysis
Exploring Roy Lichtenstein’s Comic Strip Aesthetics
Pop Art and Its Reflection on Post-War Culture
Influence of Media and Advertising on Pop Art
Cultural Shifts Reflected in 1960s Pop Art
Pop Art and Its Interpretation of Femininity: Analysis of Works
Exploring Pop Art’s Impact on Fashion
British Pop Art: Distinct Features and Notable Artists
From Collage to Canvas: Techniques of Pop Art
How Pop Art Challenged Traditional Fine Art Values
Japanese Pop Art: Influence of Manga and Anime
Pop Art and Political Commentary: Works of Richard Hamilton
The Use of Irony and Parody in Pop Art
Crossover between Pop Art and Minimalism
Pop Art’s Influence on Music: Album Cover Designs
A Closer Look at Keith Haring’s Subway Drawings
Ed Ruscha and Pop Art Typography
Understanding Claes Oldenburg’s Soft Sculptures in Pop Art
Pop Art’s Impact on Modern and Contemporary Art

Visual Art Research Topics

Decoding Symbols in Medieval Visual Art
Concepts of Beauty in Renaissance Visual Art
Impressionism: Capturing the Moment in Visual Art
Street Art: Vandalism or Visual Culture?
Understanding Abstract Expressionism in Visual Art
Color Theory in Visual Art: A Comprehensive Study
Art Nouveau and its Influence on Visual Art
Depictions of War in Visual Art
Examining Surrealism in Visual Art
Cubism: Changing Perspectives in Visual Art
Visual Art in Advertising: An Analysis
Contemporary Visual Art: Trends and Techniques
Sculpture: 3D Perspectives in Visual Art
Depictions of Mythology in Visual Art
Bauhaus Movement and its Influence on Visual Art
Visual Art as a Tool for Social Commentary
Futurism: Anticipating the Future in Visual Art
Exploring Romanticism in Visual Art
Religious Iconography in Byzantine Visual Art

Classical Greek Art Research Topics

Classical Greek Sculpture: Aesthetic Analysis
Iconography in Classical Greek Vase Painting
Architectural Innovations of Classical Greek Temples
Classical Greek Art in the Context of Democracy
Mythology Depictions in Classical Greek Art
Mosaics and Frescoes: Detailed Examination of Classical Greek Mediums
Development of Human Figure Representation in Classical Greek Art
Classical Greek Theatre: An Artistic Perspective
Artistic Techniques Used in Classical Greek Coin Design
Classical Greek Art: An Inquiry Into Cultural Exchange
Metopes and Friezes: Sculptural Elements of Classical Greek Architecture
Gender Portrayal in Classical Greek Art
Classical Greek Art: Exploring Burial Customs
Artistic Conventions of Classical Greek Pottery
Aesthetic Values in Classical Greek Art: Detailed Analysis
Exploration of Classical Greek Military Art
Deciphering Messages in Classical Greek Art
Classical Greek Art: Analyzing Patterns and Motifs
Reflection of Philosophy in Classical Greek Art
Pediment Sculpture in Classical Greek Architecture

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Art Research Paper Topics

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Author: Elizabeth Brown

Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […]

At first glance, art seems an extensive subject with many aspects to investigate. But sometimes, it’s overwhelming to understand and contextualize art epochs, movements, and representatives in their art history research paper. It is challenging to sort out what art research paper topics are worth investigating. Writing about art and especially finding the appropriate art research topics is more complicated than making art.

Therefore, in this article, you will explore compelling ideas for your future art research paper topics. Move on and get inspired to create a unique research theme that will bring you academic success.

Choosing the Right Art Research Paper Topics

You can find an abundance of art research paper topics on the internet, but it’s not guaranteed they are good for you. There are certain things to consider before choosing the art paper theme and start working on it. Take a look at tips on how to select the best art history research paper topic and compile a high-quality study.

Select the Art Category

People have been creating aesthetic objects and experiences and sharing their masterpieces for centuries. There are traditionally distinguished seven branches of art, including literature, music, architecture, the graphic arts, the visual arts, the plastic arts, the decorative arts, and the performing arts. So before browsing art topics, choose the art branch you will further research.

Decide What to Study

Sound art research topics do not cover everything in one paper. It’s necessary to define what art aspect will be subjected to research in the study. Students can select an artistic movement like romanticism, realism, baroque, classicism, or surrealism for the most interesting art topics. It’s also possible to research an art epoch, a prominent artist, or a piece of art.

Brainstorm Ideas

For choosing the best theme of possible art research paper topics, come up with ideas and do prior research. Find out what is relevant to cover for today, what has not been investigated thoroughly, whether there are enough sources for references, and if the art research paper theme you want to explore corresponds to your course plan and instructions.

What Are the Most Engaging Art Topics

Every art movement and period has outstanding representatives and fascinating artworks worth exploring. Your art history research paper will be interesting once you like what you do and can present it clearly to the readers. Art seems complex, but if you are well aware of the subject, you can do compelling research on different art topics. Students with no experience in writing art research papers can get inspiration from the list of the most engrossing art topics.

So you can write about using art as propaganda and what messages hide in artworks or sequential art. Deciding what you are absorbing art research paper topics is up to you as it’s only you who can engage the audience.

Artist Bibliography Art Topics

If you are not well knowledgeable about art and want to make a high-quality art research paper, this topic is right for you. You can choose the artist whose works attract you the most and tell in your research about their life and becoming an artist. Students are free to choose art topics on influential art representatives or unknown craters with engaging bibliography.

In order to make your art history research paper not simply listing pieces of artworks of a specific author, you should focus on investigating a distinct feature of these works. Thus, your history research paper topics may touch upon sensual creations by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Parisian life in Edgar Degas’s works, or the influence of celebrities on Andy Warhol’s art.

Art History Research Paper Topics

Writing an art history research paper is a great choice for students not willing to dive into art symbols and details. With a variety of art history research paper topics, you can easily find the best option or create your own theme. Students can benefit from numerous studies and literature sources to do original research. So potential art research paper topics focus on Ancient Egyptian Art, Greek Art, Christian Roman Art, Celtic Art, or Modern Art.

The ideas for your history research paper topics include defining similarities and differences between art styles at a specific time in the history of art development. It’s possible to research the influence of beauty, wars, and historical events on ancient and modern art.

Provocative Art Research Paper Topics at Different Periods

Every art epoch has introduced something new to art history and shaped the development of modern art movements. There are many decent artworks that activate thinking and aim at solving some problems. You can contemplate these masterpieces and their creators in thought-provoking art research paper topics. Touch in your art research paper on specific periods in art development.

Contemporary art topics are considered the most provocative as tragic global events and revolutionary personalities transformed the perception of the world and art. So here, we will focus on art research topics of the last three centuries.

Papers on the 18th-Century Art

The 18th-century history research paper topics are predominantly characterized by the shift to Rococo and Neoclassicism. This century was marked by revolutions, archaeological discoveries, industrial changes, and the era of Enlightenment. So the 18th-century art research topics feature great masterpieces and new ideas. Artists mix classical elements with brand new genres generating impressive pieces of art.

You can feature in your art research paper prominent artists of that epoch, including Filippo Juvarra, Luigi Vanvitelli, Jacques-Louis David, and Antonio Canova. It will also be a great idea for art topics to analyze their creations paying attention to preserving classical traditions, mythological subjects, urban views, landscapes, revolution scenes, etc.

Papers on the 19th-Century Art

Modern art developed in the 19th century due to the successful industrial revolution, social movements, Marxism, and feminism. The history research paper topics on the art of that century can cover artistic styles. Tell in your art research paper about Romanticism, Neoclassicism, Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and Art Nouveau, all developed in the 19th.

Each style has its prominent artists whose masterpieces deserve research. Cover provocative works by Édouard Manet in your 19th-century art research paper. In your art research paper topics you can touch upon Francisco de Goya, Henri Rousseau, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, and others.

Papers on the 20th-Century Art

The 20th-century ideas for art research paper topics are multiple and diverse due to the emergence of artistic movements and global changes. You can tell a lot in an art research paper about Abstract Expressionism, Cubism, Pop Art, Fauvism, Minimalism, Futurism, Dada, Surrealism, Conceptual Art, and Photorealism. Among thought-provoking artists of that time we can name Stanley Kubrick, Dan Flavin, Joseph Beuys, Jacques Duval-Brasseur, Ellsworth Kelly, and Jasper Johns.

The history research paper topics can cover how contemporary art rejects traditional aesthetic values, experimenting with forms, materials, techniques, and processes. Win-win ideas for art research topics are to take a fresh look at Kazimir Malevich’s Black Square or Salvador Dalí’s Metamorphosis of Narcissus.

Major Eras in the Arts

The history of art started dozens of thousands of years ago. Each art period is complex and has many to tell about, lasting from 30 to 300 years. In their art research paper, a student can focus on the art epoch of their interest and research its development, features, artists, and creations. The Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Classicism, Romanticism, Realism, Cubism, Symbolism, Expressionism, and other art eras can find their place in students’ art research paper topics.

Let’s find major art epochs and their brief descriptions you can inspire from for your art research paper.

Flamboyant Baroque

Writing an art research paper on the Baroque era (1590-1760) is an engaging endeavor that will make you dive into the magnificent world of princes and kings. Your Baroque art research paper topics may refer to man as the central power. Students can explore in history research paper topics the role of opposites: light and dark, warm and cold, good and evil in that era. Art was a way to show power and wealth, so investigate this aspect in art research topics.

Sensual Romanticism

Your art research paper on romanticism may be focused on the emotiveness and sublime imagery of the art era. Romanticism (1790-1850) art research paper topics should highlight the role of nature and subconsciousness in masterpieces of that time. Students can choose art research topics that explore influential German, English, and French painters of the Romanticism period. They interpreted the world differently and wanted to oppose the stern nature of classicism.

You can study romanticism literature and music in your history research paper topics.

Fleeting Impressionism

In the art research paper devoted to the Impressionist era of modern art, it’s possible to research the phenomenon of art for art’s sake. Impressionism mostly manifested itself in painting due to prominent artists like Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Vincent van Gough. Impressionism (1850-1895) art research paper topics can be dedicated to music and ballet. There’s much to investigate in history research paper topics, so choose the art category, your favorite artist, and their impressive masterpieces.

Research Topics on Various Cultures

Art and culture are tightly interconnected as every culture develops its unique art forms. Thus, your art research paper may feature Aboriginal, Aztec, China, African, Indian, and Japanese cultures. Students can analyze in their art research topics how these cultures influenced art development. The interesting art topics focus on the investigation of the role of cultural identity on art creation. For example, you can feature Japanese calligraphy, traditional Chinese clothing, Indian cinema, African tribal art, and more in your art research paper topics.

Research Topics on the Art of Photography

Photography is a fascinating art category for your art research paper. This type of visual art appeared back in the 19th century and still amazes people today. In your art history research paper, you can explore the role of photography in history, art, and everyday life. Researchers can investigate how digital technologies popularized photography.

Students can research the most prominent photographers of all times like Richard Avedon, Robert Frank, and Man Ray and their creations in art research topics. It’s possible to research street, war, nature, and portrait photography. A creative idea for art research paper topics is exploring the psychological dimension of the art of photography.

Research Topics on Art Therapy

Art therapy is one of the most interesting art topics for investigation. It is possible to study the origin and applications of art therapy in the art history research paper. In their art research paper, a student can focus on how art therapy helps overcome various diseases and improve mental health. You can write an art research paper on the healing power of color and music.

Also, research what pieces of art prove to be the most effective in helping people with disabilities, psychological traumas, or autism. Students can touch upon prominent art therapists and their achievements.

How Our Paper Writing Service Can Help You

Students resort to essay writer assistance for many reasons, and the writing service’s market suggests many options to choose from. At our company, we provide professional academic writing services of different types on any topic you need and meet strict deadlines. Our team of certified authors can create a unique art research paper on any theme you need.

Writers have degrees in Fine Arts and Art & Design programs, ensuring high-quality art history research paper works. Contact us if the deadline for your art research paper is approaching and you do not know what topic to choose and what to start from. We will help you write an impressive paper and get an excellent mark!

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Ethical Research Paper Topics

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Research Paper Writing Guides

Art Research Paper Topics

Last updated on: Mar 27, 2024

A Detailed List of Amazing Art Research Paper Topics

By: Barbara P.

15 min read

Reviewed By: Caleb S.

Published on: Mar 6, 2024

Beginning your art research paper journey? Picking the right topic is pivotal for your success.

Choosing something you're genuinely interested in allows you to show off your creativity, knowledge, and thinking skills. It makes your work more engaging and ensures your research stays relevant.

Art research paper topics cover a wide range – from exploring specific art movements to understanding how technology influences contemporary art. Whether it's abstract expressionism or the cultural aspects of street art, the possibilities are exciting.

Let our guide inspire you to find a topic you'll enjoy researching and make your research paper writing journey enjoyable.

On this Page

Art Research Paper Topics on Diverse Fields

Below is an extensive pool of research paper topics that you can choose to write an art research paper on.

Contemporary Art Research Paper Topics

Eco-Friendly Practices in Contemporary Sculpture and Installation Art
Digital NFT Art Redefining Ownership and Authenticity in the Art World
Queer Perspectives in Contemporary Photography and Identity Expression
The Role of Virtual Reality in Immersive Art Experiences
Political Activism through Street Art Murals, Graffiti, and Public Space
Environmental Sustainability in Contemporary Art Galleries and Museums
Body Positivity and Feminism in Contemporary Performance Art
Post-Pandemic Art Practices Resilience, Adaptation, and Creativity
Impacts of Technology on Modern Art: Digital Innovations and Virtual Realities
Cultural Appropriation in Contemporary Art Navigating Boundaries and Ethics

Digital Art Research Paper Topics

Blockchain Technology and its Impact on Digital Art Authentication
AI-Generated Art and the Boundaries of Creativity in the Digital Realm
Virtual Reality Installations Redefining Spatial Experiences in Digital Art
Crypto Art Market Trends, Challenges and Opportunities for Artists
Cybersecurity in Digital Art Preservation and Conservation
Algorithmic Art Platforms Analyzing the Role of Code in Creative Processes
Augmented Reality Art Bridging the Physical and Virtual Worlds
Responsive Environments Interactive Digital Art and Audience Participation
Immersive Digital Landscapes Exploring Nature in Virtual Art
Ephemeral Digital Art Challenges and Strategies for Archiving and Preservation

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Research Topics on Art and Culture

Global Influences on Contemporary Street Art Movements
Cultural Appropriation in Modern Fashion: A Critical Analysis
Intersectionality in Public Art: Amplifying Diverse Voices
Artistic Responses to Climate Change: A Cultural Perspective
Online Subcultures and their Impact on Visual Arts
Afrofuturism in Film and its Influence on Cultural Narratives
Cultural Heritage Preservation in the Digital Age
The Role of Indigenous Art in Cultural Identity and Activism
Evolution of Tattoo Culture as a Form of Contemporary Art
Cultural Diplomacy through International Art Exhibitions

Art History Research Paper Topics

The Influence of Eastern Philosophy on Western Abstract Expressionism
Rediscovering Female Surrealists: Contributions and Marginalization
Postcolonial Perspectives on African Indigenous Art in European Museums
Artistic Responses to Global Crises: Pandemics, Wars, and Social Unrest
Symbolism in Contemporary Street Art: Mythology and Cultural Commentary
Postmodern Architecture: Deconstructing Space and Form in the Urban Landscape
LGBTQ+ Representation in Renaissance Art: Unveiling Hidden Narratives
Eco-Art and Environmental Activism in the Anthropocene Era
Cultural Hybridity in Mexican Muralism: Indigenous Roots and Modern Expression
Technological Innovations and their Impact on 20th-Century Art Movements

Renaissance Art Research Paper Topics

The Role of Humanism in Renaissance Portraiture
Rediscovering Female Artists of the Renaissance: Beyond the Canvas
Technological Advances in Renaissance Art: Perspective and Innovation
The Intersection of Science and Art: Da Vinci's Anatomy Studies
Fashion and Elegance in Renaissance Courtly Portraits
Influence of Classical Mythology on Renaissance Sculpture
Allegorical Symbolism in Botticelli's “Primavera”
Musical Themes in Renaissance Art: Harmonies on Canvas
Gardens and Nature in Renaissance Landscape Painting
Patronage and Power: The Medici Family and Florentine Art

Islamic Art Research Paper Topics

Geometry and Symmetry in Islamic Geometric Patterns
The Influence of Calligraphy in Islamic Manuscripts and Architecture
Reviving Traditional Islamic Art in Contemporary Global Contexts
Islamic Carpets: Symbolism, Craftsmanship, and Cultural Heritage
Digital Technology and Innovation in Islamic Art Conservation
Architectural Splendors: Islamic Palaces and Courtyards
Illuminated Qurans: The Intersection of Art and Spirituality
Islamic Miniature Painting: Narrative and Aesthetic Traditions
Islamic Gardens: Harmony between Nature and Design
Cultural Exchange: Persian and Mughal Artistic Influences

20th-Century Art Research Paper Topics

Abstract Expressionism's Impact on American Modern Art
Pop Art and its Reflection on Consumer Culture
Deciphering Jackson Pollock's Messy Drip Painting in Abstract Expressionism
Street Art and Graffiti's Evolution from Counterculture
The Bauhaus Legacy in Design, Architecture, and Visual Arts
Surrealism's Influence on 20th-Century Film
Warhol's Factory: Celebrity, Consumerism, and Art Production
Land Art's Environmentalism and Sculpture in Nature
How Different Art Movements Shaped the Course of Creative Expression
Postcolonial Perspectives in Modern Art from Africa and Latin America

Research Paper Topics on Modern Art

Global Influences on Contemporary Street Art
Environmental Activism in Modern Sculpture
Augmented Reality and its Impact on Installation Art
Pablo Picasso's Cubist Shift in Art through Shape and Perspective Exploration
Intersectionality and Diversity in Modern Art Collectives
Virtual Reality Exhibitions: Navigating the Digital Art Space
Neuroaesthetics: Exploring the Brain's Response to Modern Art
Eco-Feminism in Contemporary Multimedia Installations
Examine innovations and challenges in art education for the 21st century
Biomorphic Abstraction in Modern Ceramic Sculpture

Art Topics on Ancient Civilizations

Mesopotamian Cylinder Seals: Symbols of Power and Identity
Ancient Egyptian Funerary Art and the Journey to the Afterlife
Minoan Frescoes: Capturing Daily Life in Bronze Age Crete
Indus Valley Civilization: Artifacts and Symbolism
Egyptian Art and Its Symbolic Rituals in Ancient Civilizations
Aegean Jewelry in the Mycenaean Period: Craftsmanship and Symbolism
Persian Empire: The Royal Artistry of Persepolis
Olmec Colossal Heads: Mysterious Stone Portraits
Maya Glyphs and Hieroglyphics: Writing System of an Ancient Civilization
Ancient Greek Red-Figure Pottery: Mythology in Clay

Art Research Topics on Different Cultures

Indigenous Australian Dot Painting: Tradition and Contemporary Expression
Kente Cloth in West African Art: Symbolism and Cultural Identity
Maori Wharenui Carvings: Architecture and Ancestral Narratives
Korean Hanbok Influence in Contemporary Fashion and Art
Balinese Wayang Kulit Shadow Puppets: Mythology on Leather
Sami Duodji Craftsmanship: Indigenous Art of the Nordic Region
Ainu Embroidery: Revitalizing Traditional Japanese Textile Art
Inuit Soapstone Carvings: Nature and Spirituality in Sculpture
Persian Carpet Weaving: Artistry and Symbolism in Textiles
Native American Ledger Art: Storytelling through Visual Narratives

Art Research Paper Topics on Artist Biography

Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrors and the Art of Obsession
Jean-Michel Basquiat's Street Art, Poetry, and Graffiti Influence
Frida Kahlo's Personal Struggles and Surreal Self-Portraits
Banksy's Identity: Enigma and Impact of an Anonymous Street Artist
Ai Weiwei's Activism, Politics, and Contemporary Chinese Art
Georgia O'Keeffe's Abstraction and the American Southwest
Salvador Dalí's Surrealism, Eccentricity, and Dreamlike Landscapes
Kehinde Wiley's Modernizing Portraiture with African-American Subjects
Vincent van Gogh's Madness, Starry Nights, and Post-Impressionism
Cindy Sherman's Shaping Identity through Photographic Self-Portraiture

Art Research Topics on Different Epochs

Neolithic Cave Art and the Symbolism of Early Human Expression
Classical Greek Sculpture and the Pursuit of Idealism and Beauty in Antiquity
Gothic Architecture as a Journey Through Sacred Geometry and Spiritual Ascent
Renaissance Humanism and the Rediscovery of Greco-Roman Art
Baroque Dramatics with Emphasis on Light, Shadow, and Emotional Intensity
Rococo Extravagance: Exploring Ornate Decor and Whimsical Art
Romanticism's Reverence for Nature: Capturing Landscapes and Emotions
Realism in 19th-Century Art: A Glimpse into Capturing Everyday Life
Impressionism: Exploring the Play of Light and Color in Modern Urban Scenes
Art Nouveau's Embrace of Organic Forms and Elegance in Design

Architecture Research Paper Topics

Sustainable Urban Design Green Architecture and Eco-Friendly Solutions
Parametric Design in Contemporary Architecture Computational Aesthetics
Smart Cities and Architecture Integrating Technology for Urban Efficiency
Biophilic Design Connecting Architecture with Nature for Well-being
Adaptive Reuse of Industrial Spaces Transforming Factories into Cultural Hubs
Virtual Reality and Architectural Visualization Enhancing Design Processes
Inclusive Architecture Designing Spaces for Accessibility and Diversity
Responsive Architecture Buildings that Adapt to Environmental Changes
The Role of Cultural Influences in Modern Mosque Architecture
Modular Construction Efficiency and Sustainability in Building Practices

Visual Arts Research Paper Topics

AI-Generated Art Exploring Creativity and Ethical Implications
Digital Embodiment in Virtual Art Installations
Augmented Reality in Contemporary Visual Arts Experiences
Intersectionality in Feminist Art Voices and Perspectives
Artistic Responses to Global Pandemics Reflecting Crisis
Crypto Art Market Dynamics NFTs and Digital Ownership
Afrofuturism in Visual Arts Imagining Black Futures
Guerrilla Street Art Activism and Unconventional Canvases
Cultural Hybridity in Transnational Artistic Expressions
Data Visualization as a Medium for Social Commentary

Art Therapy Research Paper Topics

Innovations in Virtual Healing with Digital Art Therapy Platforms
Stress Reduction in Modern Society Through Mindful Art Making
Art Therapy Interventions for Neurodiverse Populations
Remote Art Therapy Sessions with Integrated Technology
Nature-Based Approaches to Well-being in Eco-Art Therapy
Storytelling and Symbolism in Healing with Narrative Art Therapy
Holistic Approaches to Mental Health through Expressive Arts Therapy
Digital Platforms for Art-Based Support Groups
Strategies for Empowerment in Trauma-Informed Art Therapy
Enhancing Therapeutic Experiences with Art Therapy and Virtual Reality

Media Art History Research Paper Topics

Virtual Art Therapy: Bridging Distance and Accessibility
Mindfulness-Based Art Interventions for Stress Reduction
Art Therapy in Digital Spaces: Challenges and Opportunities
Creative Expressions for LGBTQ+ Youth in Art Therapy
Eco-Art Therapy: Nature-Based Healing Approaches
Integrating Technology in Expressive Arts Therapy Sessions
Art Therapy for Neurodivergent Individuals: Enhancing Communication
Narrative Art Therapy: Storytelling and Symbolism in Healing
Trauma-Informed Art Therapy: Strategies for Empowerment
Culturally Inclusive Art Therapy Practices in Diverse Communities

Pop Art Research Paper Topics

Consumerism and Celebrity Culture in Pop Art
Pop Art and the Influence of Mass Media on Contemporary Society
Comic Book Aesthetics: Superheroes and Pop Art Imagery
Pop Art and the Intersection of Fashion and Artistic Expression
Digital Pop Art: Contemporary Artists Embracing Technology
Environmental Commentary in Pop Art: Recycling and Sustainability
Psychedelic Influences in Pop Art of the 1960s
Feminism and Gender Roles in Pop Art Representations
Pop Art and the Evolution of Street Art and Graffiti
Celebrity Portraiture: Icons and Idols in Pop Art

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Interesting Art Topics for Research Papers

Bioart Merging Biology and Contemporary Art Practices
Cyberpunk Aesthetics in Digital Art Dystopia and Innovation
Balancing Innovation and Tradition in the Process of Art Development
Afrofuturism in Visual Culture Afrocentric Visions of the Future
DIY Art Spaces Grassroots Creativity and Community Building
Art and Artificial Intelligence Collaborations and Challenges
Kinetic Sculpture Exploring Movement in Three-Dimensional Art
Gamification of Art Education Interactive Learning Platforms
The Intersection of Virtual Reality and Dance Performance
Fashion Illustration in the Age of Social Media Influencers

Art Research Topics for Students

Street Art as a Platform for Youth Expression and Activism
Impact of Social Media on Emerging Artists' Visibility
The Fusion of Technology and Traditional Art Techniques
Online Art Communities Collaboration and Networking
Mental Health Benefits of Participating in Art Therapy
Digital Art in Educational Settings Tools and Strategies
Exploring Cultural Identity through Student Art Projects
Art Education in Virtual Classrooms: Challenges and Innovations
Street Photography Documenting Urban Student Perspectives
Art and Social Justice Student Activism Through Creativity

Now that you’ve come across an extended list of interesting topics for your next art research paper, you should know how to choose the perfect topic. Let’s look at some tips you should follow to narrow down your topic to perfection.

How to Choose Your Art Research Paper Topic?

Choosing the right topic for your art research paper is critical, especially for research students and scholars. Here are straightforward tips tailored for advanced academic exploration:

Expertise and Passion: Focus on a topic that aligns with your expertise and passion. A deep understanding will enhance the depth and quality of your research.
Literature Review: Conduct a thorough literature review to ensure there's substantial existing research on your chosen topic. This step is important for building upon established knowledge.
Gap Identification: Look for gaps or areas with limited research within your field of interest. Addressing these gaps can contribute significantly to the academic discourse.
Methodological Feasibility: Assess the feasibility of your chosen research methods. Make sure you have access to the necessary research sources , archives, or technologies required for your research.
Relevance to Research Goals: Align your topic with the overarching goals of your research project. This guarantees that your findings contribute meaningfully to your academic objectives.
Collaboration Opportunities: Consider topics that might offer collaboration opportunities with other researchers or institutions. Collaborative research can enrich your study and provide diverse perspectives.
Feedback from Peers: Seek feedback from fellow researchers or advisors. Their insights can help refine your topic and introduce valuable perspectives.
Publication Potential: Assess the potential for publication. Opt for a topic that not only meets your academic goals but also has the potential to be published, contributing to the wider scholarly community.

Combine your expertise, passion, and a strategic approach to existing research. Through this method, you can select an art research paper topic that meets the requirements of advanced academic research while making a substantial contribution to the field.

To sum it up , one of the most important and early steps of writing a research paper is finding the right idea for your research.

Looking for the perfect art research paper topic demands a blend of passion, expertise, and strategic thinking. Keep in mind that your chosen topic should not only meet advanced research criteria but also contribute meaningfully to the field.With the comprehensive list of art research paper ideas in this blog, you can easily find a captivating topic that aligns with your interests and academic goals.

However, we understand that you may require some assistance in choosing the right art research topic. But don’t worry, we have a solution for that as well.

For expert assistance or support with your art research paper, explore the services at SharkPapers.com. Our professional research paper writers can handle all aspects of your art research papers with ease.

Visit our paper writing service online today to start a journey that will make your research paper stand out and bring academic success. Explore the possibilities now!

Frequently Asked Questions

What's a good question to study about art.

A good question to explore in art studies involves understanding the significance of a particular artistic movement or era: What factors contribute to the importance of a specific artistic movement or era? How do the characteristics of artworks within this movement align? How has this movement developed and changed throughout its history?

How do I pick a good topic for an art history project?

To select a topic for an art history project, consider something like “The Influence of Ancient Greek Sculpture on Renaissance Art.”

Can you give an example of research done on art?

An example of artistic research is a study on “The Evolution of Street Art and Its Impact on Urban Spaces.”

How do I choose a fun topic for my art project?

When picking a topic for an art project, think about what interests you the most, whether it's nature, emotions, or a particular art technique.

What are some art topics to research?

Here are some different art topics to research: the use of color in impressionist paintings, the depiction of nature in Japanese woodblock prints, and the influence of surrealism on contemporary photography. Each topic offers unique insights into various aspects of art history and creativity.

What are some art-based research title examples?

Here are some title examples for art-based research papers:

Murals and Urban Development, Investigating The Transformative Role of Public Art in Communities
Kinetic Sculptures in the Digital Era, Exploring the Integration of Movement and Technology
NFTs Revolutionizing the Art World, Providing a Comprehensive Analysis of Digital Collectibles

Barbara has a Ph.D. in public health from an Ivy League university and extensive experience working in the medical field. With her practical experience conducting research on various health issues, she is skilled in writing innovative papers on healthcare. Her many works have been published in multiple publications.

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Good Examples of Artist Research Pages

If you are wondering where you can find good examples of artist research pages, you’ve come to the right place. It is great to have a collection of pages to show your students to inspire them and now you can just send them the link to this blog post. Thanks to all the talented art teachers for their permission to use these images.

An artists research page should include the artist’s name, images of the artists work, annotation about the artist and also annotation which is the student’s personal response to the work. Why did they choose it? How does it relate to the theme/idea they are investigating? What does the work inspire them to do next? Many successful artist research pages are also embellished so the whole page is a reflection of the artist’s work.

Every aspect of the research page below reflects the artist Ian Murphy. It shows the artists name and includes annotation and images. The student has created a drawing in the bottom left-hand corner inspired by the artists work. It appears that the background has had anaglypta wallpaper printed onto the page which creates a pattern that reflects the wrought iron and stone carving found in Ian Murphy’s drawings. The white and grey paint reflects the stonework of Murphy’s work.

Below, a combination of the artist work and the students work create a striking, colourful page. Keywords describe the artists work. The annotation is a combination of information about the artist and the student’s response to the work. I like the ‘What Next!’ in the cup. It shows the student is thinking ahead.

Artist Research Page Michael Craig Martin

I wanted to include the research page below as the annotation is in-depth, insightful and full of subject-specific language. Excellent to show your students what good annotation looks like.

The simple black and white presentation with torn edges below, reflects the artists work. There’s nothing like a bit of white pen on black paper to create an artistic-looking page. Over 50% of the annotation is the student’s response to the work. I think this is a good ratio to have in mind. The annotation is intelligent and includes the students own ideas. The student is interpreting the work.

The Roy Thomas artist research page below, is neatly presented with clear images and annotation. Together with the artist analysis , it creates a striking double-page spread. An artist analysis is where the student has recreated an artwork or section of an artwork so that they go through the process the artist has been through. It is a controversial issue here in the UK with a fashion for moving away from doing this. Many art teachers still believe there is a lot to learn by going through this process. Another approach is for the student to create an artwork ‘in the style of’ the artists work from their own photographs.

The student includes detailed annotation about the process they have been through.

Julia Lillard creates surreal digital and paper collage. In the research page below, the student Eva has captured the sepia tones often found in the artist work by lightly coffee staining the background and using brown gummed tape at the corners of artworks like old fashioned picture corners. The student has included annotation and their own pieces of vintage collage. The detailed annotation includes information about the artist, quotes from the artist, their personal opinion, and what they plan to do next.

The Claerwen James research page below has a successful diagonal layout on the left-hand page. Students often want to fill 100% of the page but this space works well. The students has also completed a skilful artist analysis.

I wanted to include the research page below, created at Kingsway Park High School , as it has such a strong composition. I love the way the text mirrors the shape of the artwork by artist Lorraine Roy . The student, Fizza I, has cut away some of the artwork and recreated it themselves to analyse the work.

For the research page below, the student first painted with acrylic on black paper. They picked up on the reflected light that can be found in Liam Spencer’s work and used daubs of paint to create impressionistic car and street lights. This students theme was ‘reflected light’ so they carefully chose Spencer’s work that shows this. Their annotation is detailed, intelligent and uses subject-specific language.

The student who created the page below was investigating the theme of body issues and the size zero debate. She researched the work of artist Adele Carney. The use of dressmakers patterns in the background and tape measures was appropriate to the artist and theme.

I use the teaching resource below to support my students when they create artist research pages, especially when it’s the first time they do this.

If you have enjoyed this blog post about artist research pages, why not subscribe by clicking on the image below. If you are an art teacher you will also be able to access 3 of my free resources every month too.

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The Arty Teacher

Sarah Crowther is The Arty Teacher. She is a high school art teacher in the North West of England. She strives to share her enthusiasm for art by providing art teachers around the globe with high-quality resources and by sharing her expertise through this blog.

2 responses to “Good Examples of Artist Research Pages”

Hello Sarah. Good day. Am impressed with your good job on Artist research. Please kindly mail to me examples of students responses to artist works while working on ARTIST RESEARCH PROJECTS (IGCSE) Thanks and hoping to hear from you soon.

Hi Monday, I’m sorry but I don’t email out student work. I hope you have discovered the ‘Arty Students’ section of the site which you can see here: https://theartyteacher.com/category/arty-students/

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Writing in Art History

This guide provides a brief introduction to writing in the field of art history through the lens of threshold concepts. It includes:

A statement of threshold concepts in art history
“So you’re taking an art history course”: A Description of Writing Characteristics Valued in Art History
“This is how we write and do research in art history”: Resources for Writers

A Statement of Threshold Concepts in Art History

“Seeing comes before words, the child looks and recognizes before it can speak.” (John Berger, Ways of Seeing )

“Seeing establishes our place in the world.” (John Berger, Ways of Seeing )

“We do not explain pictures: we explain remarks about pictures.” (Michael Baxandall, Patterns of Intention )

Threshold Concept #1: Connections between Looking and Writing

The statement: It is not easy to write what you see. If seeing establishes our place in the world, art history is a tool to make sense of the visual world in which we all live.

What this means for our students: Looking well is a time-intensive and skilled practice. Visual information is not self-evident, and writing about what is seen involves thinking about how and why visual information is understood in a particular way.

Where/how we teach this Threshold Concept : Visual analysis assignment in ART 285; Short essays in 100-level courses. Writing about and describing what is seen is also modeled in class examples and discussions.

Threshold Concept #2: Context Matters

The statement: All art is conditioned by historical and cultural circumstances. Art history endeavors to understand these circumstances or contexts in order to explain the crucial role art occupies in humanity. The contexts that produced the work of art help art historians contextualize why art matters.

What this means for students: Art is never understood by its visual appearance or form alone. The goal of art history is to place a work of art within its historic, religious, political, economic, and aesthetic contexts. Students should also understand that various contexts do not stand on their own, but usually overlap. Only by unpacking the circumstances that give rise to a work of art is one able to communicate how art matters and how its meanings change through time and place.

Where/how we teach this Threshold Concept: 100-level courses engage with this concept while upper-level courses provide students with practical applications through the execution of research and writing assignments.

Threshold Concept #3: Frames of interpretation

The statement: Art historical writing involves multiple frames of interpretation and—perhaps more importantly—the ability to hold multiple frames in suspension at the same time while producing an original argument. While there is no one “right” interpretation of a work of art, there are interpretations and scholarly arguments that have more quality or staying power than others. (See below for examples of quality art historical arguments)

What this means for students: Research done in preparation for writing is framed not only as a search for facts to be relayed to the reader through writing, but also as discourses of interpretation within which the writer seeks to interject. This kind of writing involves a conversation with artworks, contexts, and prior interpretations and scholarship in service of an original argument.

Where/how we teach this Threshold Concept: Research papers in upper level courses, at the end of Art 285 and the Art 480 seminar, and as part of the capstone project and honors theses ideally move students through this threshold. Being able to do this involves building upon awareness and skills gained in Threshold Concepts 1 and 2.

“So You’re Taking an Art History Course”: A Description of Writing Characteristics Valued in Art History

Art history is rooted in the study of visual, performed, and material expression. Goals for our work include interpretation, producing frameworks, narratives, and histories to understand the human experience and condition, and the expansion of what is considered “art”. We want you to know that there are some key things that we value in our field. We value the complexity of seeing and the diversity of different ways of seeing . We tend not to value or prioritize subjective opinion and unsubstantiated claims.

What is considered effective or good writing in our field varies by genre and purpose, but overall we expect to see:

a direct address of the subject or work of art.
an interpretive analysis of a work of art backed by research from credible sources.
engagement with significant interpretive and theoretical frameworks.

Writers in our field must provide evidence for their claims. We understand evidence to include:

Formal analysis. Formal analysis is the description of the visual and material features of an object to support an argument. It can include a consideration of color, line, size, weight, form, shape, depth. Formal analysis is often a place to generate questions for research.
Biographical records or artists’ statements
Archival records
Ethnographic data
Historical events
Significant secondary literature
Adjacent artistic and cultural production (music, literature, theatre, etc.)

Writers in our field seem credible when they:

Address current and historical debates about the interpretation of a topic
Demonstrate an awareness of the historical and cultural context of a topic
Cite credible sources accurately. Credible sources include peer-reviewed journals, books, or websites from reputable institutions and organizations.
For more information on citing sources accurately, see the “ Quick Guide to Citations for Art Historical Writing ”

This is How We Write and Do Research in Art History

Art historical writing is about analyzing works of art to make a point or argument. Not every student in our classes needs to be able to write in the professional way of the field. However, depending on the reasons for taking our courses, we want students to become proficient and comfortable with analyzing art and the important place writing occupies in that process. Students taking an art history course should expect to write in the following genres:

research papers
exhibition reviews/evaluations
book reviews
visual analyses
reading reflection/canvas posts
museum labels
essay exams

Writing goals and outcomes are different depending on the level of the course. For example:

Undergraduates taking Miami Plan (100-level) or elective courses should recognize the relationship between how to develop a thesis and employ visual evidence in support of that thesis. Such a skill is undoubtedly useful for all students since looking closely coupled with the ability to make sense of what one sees are crucial for many other kinds of writing and ways of thinking. We argue the complexity and diversity of “looking deeply” is too often taken for granted in the visual world in which we live. In 100-level classes, students start to become familiar with how to write and think about art.
Undergraduates majoring in our field should recognize that art historical writing is approached as a conversation or dialogue. As students progress through the major, being able to place a topic and research paper within previous published and ongoing debates is crucial. In other words, students should start to understand that writing in Art History is about creating a dialog between one’s ideas and the sources the student engages. We also want our students to understand the value of inserting their own voice when writing. Over time, majors will need to become skilled at synthesizing their ideas and arguments with original research. This very process is how objects tell us something distinctive about their historical context and their value within human history.

Resources for Art History Writers

Annotated Sample of Writing from Art History (ART 188)

The following is a student paper from the course ART 188: History of Western Art (Renaissance to Modern). Miami faculty from Art History have inserted comments to indicate and explain disciplinary writing conventions in Art History.

This sample contains 8 comments. These comments appear within the text of the article and are noted with bold text, brackets [ ], and the word "comment" before the text they refer to. You can also view these annotations and the original paper in a Google Doc format .

Sample Annotated Student Essay for ART 188

The essay prompt.

Compare Hyacinthe Rigaud’s painting Louis XIV (1701) (on the left) to Jacques-Louis David’s Death of Marat (1793) (on the right). Both of these artworks were made for explicitly political purposes, though they clearly depict very different types of figures and employ very different styles. Compare these two artworks in terms of how they convey their particular political message to the viewer. What strategies does each artist employ and why? What are they trying to communicate to the viewer about the state?

Painting titled Louis XIV ; by Hyacinthe Rigaud. Louis XIV stands in front of a red velvet curtain, ornate column, dressed in white tights and an ermine and blue velvet robe, embroidered with gold fleur de lis. He holds a straight cane. An ornate sword is belted at his side. His crown sits on a small table covered with the same material as the cape.

Introduction (2 comments)

A Martyr of Royal Proportions

[Comment 1: Introduction sets the context without making claims that are too broad or general. Also sets the tone for a focus on class conflict.] For the majority of the eighteenth-century, French farmers stayed starving and cold while an elite class of nobility consumed them. For years, the upper echelon of French society relied on the blood and sweat of the layman to provide them with ample nourishment. But after the spring of 1791, the fields would be nourished by the blood of laymen and aristocrat alike, and the old ways would be no more. A revolution had begun, and revolutionary figures like Jean Paul Marat would be painted in stark contrast to the grandiose portraiture of King Louis the Fourteenth nearly a century prior. [Comment 2: Clear thesis signals what the argument will be and why comparing these two paintings is worthwhile.] Indeed, the transition in composition from the early eighteenth century spoke to more than simple brushstrokes. It represented the political enlightenment of the French people attempting to secure for themselves unalienable liberties they had been denied so long. Marat, therefore, was not simply a brutalized revolutionary lying lifeless in his bathtub; The Death of Marat depicts the efforts of the enlightenment revolution ferociously contesting with the old paradigm of French government.

Analysis (6 comments)

[Comment 3: Clear topic sentences signal what each paragraph will analyze.] When comparing two pieces it is important to recognize their respective contexts first. The Louis XIV portrait is painted by Hyacinthe Rigaud during the early Enlightenment period of France in 1701. This painting has King Louis XIV surrounded by opulence in a very stately posture. Louis states, “I am the state,” reinforcing his role as monarch of France for anyone viewing his kingly grandeur. The Death of Marat , however, imparts a very different sentiment. Painted by French revolutionary artist Jacques-Louis David in 1793, The Death of Marat displays the infamous revolutionary writer is lifeless in a tub. At the height of the French revolution, he is soaking in a mixture of medicinal sulfur used to treat a rare skin condition he contracted in the sewers of France. Indeed, this disease that Marat contracted in the sewers placed him in the tub he would be murdered in. In this way, the poverty that drove him into the sewers also drove him to his demise; the French aristocracy could expunge the poor from the streets, but they could never extricate the ideas Marat imbued. The piece evoked compassion and provided justification to the many rebellious Parisians for whom he spoke. Furthermore, the painting immortalized Marat as a martyr and freedom fighter in the eyes of his fellow revolutionaries. The Louis XIV portrait flaunts power and status while The Death of Marat condemns monarchical rule in France.

After examining context, it is crucial to integrate the content of the works to get at their underlying meaning. Examining the content of the Louis XIV portrait gives the viewer an idea of the intentions and priorities of the French king. It is especially apparent that the king has a lot of money. [Comment 4: Descriptive prose points to specific aspects in the work of art.] His encrusted sword and outrageously fanciful robe serve to bolster his status and wealth. It would almost seem that in a secondary effort to avoid being directly arrogant, these items are also imbued with a national relevance. The ludicrous robe displays the three-pronged lily representing the French monarchy, and his encrusted sword represents French military might. It is his shoes that cannot be accounted for. The king, old and sickly as he actually was, adorns some stylish footwear to juxtapose his position as self-proclaimed “Sun King” with some suave contemporary sneakers and a cheeky flash of the thigh. As powerful and sophisticated as he may have been, this portraiture shows [Comment 5: Returns the analysis of symbols within the painting to the context of class conflict signaled in the introduction.] a clear separation from reality; the wealth and power of “France” depicted in Louis’ portrait was not representative of the people who actually lived there. It was only relatable to the fancifully rich. Comparatively, the Marat portrait makes King Louis look like a bad attempt at humor. The Death of Marat was something extremely real and very relatable. It illustrated a man who suffered dearly at the hand of the monarchy and was ultimately killed by those who supported its rule. The rich and famous could never relate to The Death of Marat in the same way Parisians did; Marat would have been more honorable in the eyes of the public than any would-be king. Marat is shown in his tub, papers under arm and his quill in hand. It would appear that he was working on some enlightenment literature when he received a letter which tricked him into granting his killer access to him. Similar to the Louis XIV portrait, Marat’s body is sculpted with the precision and attention expected of the neoclassical age. The sickly and bleeding body of Marat elicits a specific emotional reaction of resentment and remorse. That the Marat painting gained the popularity that it did supports the idea that people began to relate more with enlightenment concepts and less of the idea of a king.

The skillful hand of each artist has a unique place in the message of each painting. The separate pieces are painted with unique and very different forms. Looking at the Louis XIV painting one notices that it is very full. This is assumed to be an intentional detail, as a king would surely have many possessions. Small shadows hide in the creases of cloth behind him. The only true shadow that rivals that of the king is in the very back of the painting almost out of sight. It would not be a stretch to say that the painting is full of cloth, and every cloth is radiant with color. [Comment 6: Attention to formal detail reasserts and supports the main argument about class and the king’s presentation within the painting.] Light comes from the right-side illuminating Louis the XIV making him look larger with his robe on. The piece is extremely skilled but has some element of blurring when looked at closely. The overall atmosphere is one of style, color, and power regarding the king. The Marat piece does not share much with the Louis portrait; it is of a bath tub, a man, and a desk. The details of Marat are more vivid and retain their integrity upon close inspection. Marat himself is so realistic, he truly looks lifeless. [Comment 7: Formal analysis here connects to prior class content, and points to the art historical references within the painting.] His posture is very reminiscent of pieta, reinforcing his martyr status in a Christ-like fashion. Despite the detail and realism of Marat, [Comment 8: Looks not only to what is in the painting, but how absences are treated, considering the entire composition.] the stark ambiguity of the upper half of the painting is both unconventional and genius. With a black top half, there is nothing but Marat himself to focus on, the only thing one can really see and feel is Marat. As a result, the piece evokes keeps the viewers attention and feeling on the death of the man. One might ask who would do such a thing. Then answer inevitably reached is the monarchy.

Conclusion (0 comments)

The differences in context, content, and form of The Death of Marat and Louis XIV vary widely. These aspects are essential to the message and reception of the works. Their comparison brings out everything that is right, or wrong, with the messages they impart. In the case of David’s painting, it simply elicits the exact emotions people needed to feel; the emotions they needed reassurance of if they were to carry out their cause. The power of The Death of Marat inspired people to carry on fighting for the French Revolution. The influence of art certainly stretches beyond the construct of the mind, art is part and parcel of society, and should be regarded so dearly.

Annotated Sample of Read, Look, Reflect Essay

This sample contains 10 comments. These comments appear within the text of the article and are noted with bold text, brackets [ ], and the word "comment" before the text they refer to. You can also view these annotations and the original paper in a Google Doc format .

Assignment Context

As a student in ART 188, you might be asked to write a series of Read, Look, Reflect papers. The following paper is an example of exemplary student work. For this assignment, students are asked to read two sonnets by Michelangelo and look closely at Michelangelo’s sculpture Awakening Slave. Then they are asked to reflect on the questions below. This is a paper in which all students referenced the same assigned texts. No outside research was necessary, so footnotes were not required. Only clear references to the specific sonnet being discussed were necessary.

How does the allusion to the creative process in Michelangelo’s poems help us understand his philosophy of carving sculpture? How is that process visually apparent in the sculpture, Awakening Slave ?

Introduction (3 comments)

Read, Look, Reflect: Michelangelo’s Awakening Slave

[Comment 1: This introductory paragraph is effective because it begins providing an answer to the essay prompt. The author begins to explain a connection between hand and mind, which suggests a particular approach to the creative process.] [Comment 2: The author also gets straight to the point without making any sweeping historical claims or claims about beauty or greatness of a work of art.] Michelangelo’s sonnets give insight into his beliefs about the mind’s vision and the hand’s product. Using sonnets to discuss the creative process and its resulting translation to Michelangelo’s sculptures is a testament to Michelangelo’s own mental capabilities, for both forms of art are quite difficult to produce well. Poetry and art require excessive refinement and revision on the part of the creator to convey what he or she wants to with a finished product. In the sonnet numbered 151, Michelangelo describes the “hand that obeys the intellect”, [Comment 3: Here’s one place where the author provides an interpretation of a specific quote.] an indication that he believes that the mind is central to sculpting a vision from inspiration before the hand sculpts the stone itself. Further, Michelangelo’s choice of words here shows his reverence for the mind in its central creative role. In this paper, demonstrate how Michelangelo’s sonnets and the sculpture, Awakening Slave , express a tension between idea and execution.

Analysis (7 comments)

With this in mind, Michelangelo’s second sonnet, numbered 152, delves further into the carving process. [Comment 4: The author focuses on a specific part of the poem here.] Michelangelo speaks of a living figure “that grows larger wherever the stone decreases” in this poem, a more direct allusion to what stone is literally subtracted as artistic additions are made to the stone. From there, the sonnet further describes the process of addition, discussing how one cannot see his or her own good in the same way that others can. [Comment 5: The author comes to a thoughtful interpretation of the quote here.] Rather, according to Michelangelo, other people seem to see the good in an individual and can bring it out to the surface in a way that the individual is unable to introspectively. [Comment 6: The author continues to reflect on the significance of that interpretation to the creative process.] This is a powerful observation both psychologically and artistically, and though Michelangelo is commenting on both, the latter alludes more to the creative process. Artistically, it seems like Michelangelo is alluding to his personal definition of inspiration. When artists like himself create, they seek to bring out qualities worth displaying, whether they be qualities like grace and beauty, or in the case of his sculpture, Awakening Slave , a quality like the beauty of struggle.

Because Michelangelo’s sculpture, Awakening Slave , is still very much confined to the stone, viewers can see his poetic description of replacing raw stone with a mental vision in artistic practice. It could be argued that the sculpture is either intentionally or accidentally unfinished, but with the information from the sonnets, the former seems to be a more accurate reflection of Michelangelo’s beliefs in this art. For Michelangelo, crafting a seemingly unfinished sculpture can successfully show the struggles of the creative process, especially conflicts with inspiration itself. Conflicts could entail a situation such as if inspiration were to run dry, or a time when the pressure on the creator to produce a fully developed vision becomes too much.

The man who is supposed to be awakening in the sculpture is facing a personal struggle that he cannot escape from. [Comment 7: The author makes a clear and specific observation about the sculpture.] It is worth noting that a body is more clearly defined in the sculpture than a head. [Comment 8: The author suggests a possible interpretation of the observation above.] This structural observation could mean that the head, and therefore the mind, is the source of the struggle for the man depicted in the stone. [Comment 9: The author again makes a specific observation in the next sentence and then moves into interpretation for the rest of the paragraph.] The central parts of the body are more prominent in the stone than the upper and lower regions of the body, giving the sculpture a warped look on the top, but also a little bit on the bottom as well. This further enhances the theme of struggle and the overtaking of the mind by said struggle. The all- consuming nature of struggle is made more powerful and central to the sculpture by that design choice, especially since viewers know that Michelangelo’s anatomical accuracy was part of what has made many of his other works so respected.

The ability that viewers have to pair Michelangelo’s Awakening Slave with written explanations from the artist centuries later undoubtedly adds to one’s interpretation of the art. Michelangelo’s decision to reflect on his own creative process shows that while he was a renowned artist, the talent was accompanied by other highly developed talents, too. In more than one respect, Michelangelo continues to succeed in making critics and common viewers alike understand the complexity of the artistic profession.

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Art Research Paper

This sample art research paper features: 6600 words (approx. 22 pages) and a bibliography with 52 sources. Browse other research paper examples for more inspiration. If you need a thorough research paper written according to all the academic standards, you can always turn to our experienced writers for help. This is how your paper can get an A! Feel free to contact our writing service for professional assistance. We offer high-quality assignments for reasonable rates.

The Sociology of Art

The arts and sociology, as Pierre Bourdieu (1980:207) observed, make uneasy bedfellows. It is an unease that pervades American sociology even more than he imagined. We should bear in mind that barely two decades have elapsed since a handful of American Sociological Association members succeeded in convincing a necessary quorum of colleagues to sign the petition required to set up a new Section. The Culture Section’s growth since then must have come as a surprise even to some of those early supporters.

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Culture and the arts have become increasingly visible in sociological publications (Peterson 1976; Becker 1982; Crane 1987; Balfe 1993), disciplinary recognition (Griswold 2000), and professional organizations, both in the United States and elsewhere (Zolberg 1990). But despite the richly textured potential that the arts afford for social science disciplines, it appears that American sociologists continue to devote relatively little attention to them. The success of culture’s reentry as a domain of considerable significance in American sociological investigation provides an opportune moment to reexamine the standing of the arts in what should be the most hospitable field of the discipline. This research paper provides an account of the persistent hesitancy to recognize the arts as central rather than peripheral in the social scientific field even in the face of the extraordinary promise that artistic transformations in the past century would seem to offer. The theme is that despite the increasing prominence of culture in the profession, the standing of the arts in American sociology appears to have changed less than might have been expected. 232

Staging the Sociology of the Arts in America

Less than a half century ago, a survey of the sociology of art would have begun and ended with contentiously worded assertions concerning the relationships of the arts and society. Certainly, many scholars affirmed that in some ways art mirrors society, but at that point consensus would end. Some insisted that art reflects societal production relationships, serving largely as an ideological tool to maintain dominant groups in favorable situations. Deriving from the materialist orientation of Karl Marx, who actually wrote little about the arts, that perspective provides the foundation of Arnold Hauser’s (1951) massive analysis of artistic creativity through the ages, The Social History of Art. Other scholars, with equal certainty, maintained that great art should be treated as part of an autonomous sphere, surmounting material constraints, but in some way reflecting the spirit of its age. Certain versions of reflection analysis see art reaching for higher values, foretelling cultural and societal tendencies. Of the many anti-Marxist variants on this idea, the one elaborated by Pitirim Sorokin (1937), a work that preceded Hauser’s by more than a decade, was nearly as massive.

As divergent as they are in their foundations, these interpretations of the relations of the arts and society aim to unearth hidden postulates of art in relation to broad social structural processes. Whether from the standpoint of Marxist analysis or anti-Marxist idealism, these are universalizing conceptions of art, representing a Western European, hierarchical scheme of cultural classification (Bourdieu 2000:73, 105). Sorokin embraced 2,500 years of civilization; Hauser starts from the even earlier point— prehistoric cave painting—and both ended their analyses with their own artistic contemporaries. Neither passes muster in the face of modern anthropological perspectives, which see art as part of a cultural system, embedded in its cultural context (Geertz 1973). Regardless of the political or intellectual stance of individual scholars today, their ambitions are far more modest. They rarely undertake to encompass such magisterial breadth entailing so speculative an outlook. This does not necessarily result in a narrowing of vision, however, since the types of art that contemporary researchers consider worthy of analysis are far more varied than what their predecessors documented. Neither Hauser nor Sorokin paid much attention to nonWestern civilizations, barely any at all to primitive and folk forms, and, except disparagingly, to commercial art and entertainment (Hauser 1982). Neither considered the absence of women artists a question worthy of scrutiny. Even within the domain of fine art, both shared a largely unexamined but generally unfavorable opinion of avantgarde art. Finally, like most of their more aesthetically oriented peers, although they dealt with changing genres and stylistic modes, they accepted extant categories of art as unproblematic givens, without considering that other creative forms might be valid for inclusion in the aesthetic field (Zolberg 1997). Yet beyond their ambitious reach, what is remarkable about the Hauser and Sorokin studies is that they were truly exceptional, since on the whole social scientists gave short shrift to the subject of art.

On the Sociological Periphery

Early work in sociology of art.

Even though American sociology had its origins in, and continued to look toward European theoretical formulations, aside from literary and aesthetic scholars who sometimes touched ever so lightly on the social contexts or cultural history surrounding the arts, in the first half of the twentieth century, the sociology of art was largely the concern of a few European scholars. A single major work by Max Weber (1958) dealt directly with a specific art form— music—as a case of his theory of cultural rationalization in the West. When Émile Durkheim founded his important publication, Annales, he situated what he termed “aesthetic sociology” within the sociology that he was trying to establish but only under the residual rubric “ divers ” and beyond considering it as part of the “elementary forms of the religious life” of aboriginal society, he himself did no study of it (Zolberg 1990:38). Only Georg Simmel (1968) wrote frequently about the arts, although less as a social scientist than as a literary and art critic, philosopher, or fashionable essayist (Coser 1965).

By the end of World War II, American sociology, along with American science more generally, became the most dynamic and expansive in the world. This growth was a counterpart to the prominence of the United States on the international scene as the champion of Western humanist values during the war, and defender of freedom during the cold war (Guilbaut 1983; Saunders 1999).

American social scientific scholarship, however, hardly acknowledged the arts as a legitimate object of study. This stance had its nearly symmetrical correlative in the opposing and equally intransigent stance on the part of humanistic scholarship, including literature, aesthetics, art theory, musicology, and history of culture, toward what seemed the threat of the social sciences. The increasing preeminence of the exact sciences during and after the war had drawn many social scientists to adopt the presuppositions, techniques, and methodologies of these disciplines, an orientation that cast a shadow over humanistic subjects such as the arts, and qualitative interpretive methods that art calls for. Still, as higher education was expanded, despite official emphasis on the exact sciences, all university studies were made to grow, including the social sciences and the humanities.

A New Moment in Late-20th Century Sociology

Until the post–World War II period, in the United States, the few scholars who did social studies of the arts were emigré scholars, especially members of the Frankfurt School, such as Theodor Adorno ([1962] 1976), who were escaping persecution by totalitarian states. Straddling the intersection of the humanities and social sciences, these exiles often remained marginal to mainstream intellectual life, were treated as outsiders, and saw themselves in that light (Wilson 1964:v). Their marginality was enhanced by the Marxist orientation to which some adhered, combined more generally with their critical views on American sociology’s “scientistic empiricism,” and, in many cases, contempt for what they took to be its intellectual shallowness (Zolberg 1990:72). Most of them deplored the development of “mass society” and its impact on individual autonomy. Their insistence on taking an evaluative position in their social analysis, rejecting what they regarded as a fictive scientific objectivity, reinforced the exclusion they suffered from the academic mainstream of American sociology. Nevertheless, some of them attracted a following of American scholars, intrigued by and sympathetic to their inquiry in the spheres both of high culture and their critique of culture industries. Although the legacy of earlier misgiving persists, in recent times, it has become considerably muted because of changes in both sets of disciplines that have produced convergences in their orientations (Zolberg 1990).

Foundations for a New Social Study of the Arts

Although in many European countries a considerable body of scholarship was devoted to aesthetics, it was only in the post–World War II period that an autonomous field of sociology of art, distinct from philosophy, history, or criticism materialized. This was the case in France, as the sociologists Pierre Bourdieu ([1979] 1984) and Raymonde Moulin ([1967] 1987, 1992) provided important intellectual leadership and the French state gave institutional support. German philosophical, musicological, and art historical scholarship continued to straddle the social domain as successors to the Frankfurt School tradition for whom the arts, both fine and commercial, were foci of critical study. English literary and historical scholarship infused Raymond Williams’s social analysis of what he saw as the hegemonic role of the arts and served to underpin the development of British culture studies. Williams led the way to open up the social study of the arts by introducing popular forms, such as the movies, radio, jazz, and more popular forms. In the United States, students and faculty who considered the university an agent of government policy, especially through its involvement in the Vietnam War, challenged what they suspected were biases of the social sciences.

Simultaneously, in relation to some of the same developments, the art world itself was undergoing transformation. The trend that had begun much earlier, for the center of the international art market to shift from Paris to New York became a reality in the immediate post–World War II period. As happened during World War I, when the arts were challenged by Marcel Duchamp’s gathering of “found objects”—bathroom plumbing, snow shovels, bicycle wheels—and “assisting” them to the status of art by supplying them with titles and signatures by purported artists, in the 1950s the arts “exploded.” Artists introduced new media, broke the barriers separating genres, and challenged conventional hierarchies, routinely wreaking havoc with artistic traditions, including even the historical avant-garde.

The material conditions that encouraged the entry of large numbers of aspiring artists into the avant-garde art world included growing foundation, corporate, and government support for the arts (Crane 1987). Political ideology played an important role in the form of cold war strategy by American advocates of government support for the arts, who successfully argued for creating a hospitable environment for artistic originality to serve as evidence of the creative freedom that was anathema under authoritarian regimes (Guilbaut 1983; Saunders 1999). Besides providing an opportunity structure for artists, indirectly, it opened the path for social scientists interested in culture, whose forays into studies of the arts gained some legitimacy.

On the basis of what had become “normal sociology” of the 1950s and 1960s, it would have been difficult to predict the efflorescence in the sociology of art that was in the offing. Prior to that time, aside from a few articles, no major sociological works had increased the small, pre-1950s bookshelf. An indication of the new trend appeared in the exploratory work, The Arts in Society a reader edited by Robert Wilson (1964), who wrote a number of its essays and solicited additional ones. Justifying his choices by taking as his point of departure the fairly orthodox idea that artists could “often see what is going on in the society or the psyche a good bit earlier than other men do” (p. vi), he was unabashedly “concerned with the products and producers of high culture.” Only a few years later, another collection of essays heralded an “institutional” approach that examines the functions of the arts in meeting human needs and maintaining social stability (Albrecht, Barnett, and Griff 1970). The editors included studies of the relationship of forms and styles to various social institutions; artists’ careers and their interactions in a variety of artistic milieus; distribution and reward systems; the roles of critics, dealers, and the public in recognizing artists and works.

They were generously open to divergent views that encompassed even Marxian analysts. At the same time, however, these essays demonstrated the infancy of the field of sociology of art: of the authors represented, only onefourth were actually sociologists, while the rest were in anthropology, comparative literature, history, art history, or were practicing artists, painters, dancers, writers. The happy result of this omnium gatherum was that Albrecht and his coauthors contributed to the creation of an American field that integrated European approaches and was strongly cross-disciplinary, ranging over the fine arts, classical and contemporary, as well as folk art, music, dance, and literature, and their corresponding institutional grounding.

A Sociological Space for Art: Current Trends

In light of changes within sociology itself, as well as developments exogenous to the discipline, the sociology of art in the third millennium may be characterized by four trends. First, continuing from already tested frameworks, sociologists examine the roles of the institutions and processes that give rise to or constrain the emergence of artworks. Second, they analyze the artistic practice of creators and patterns of appreciation and acquisition of patrons and collectors. Third, they investigate degrees of access for diverse publics to the arts and the role of the arts in status reproduction. Fourth, in a radical shift, some scholars call into question the very nature of the category “Art,” arguing that “art” needs to be understood not as selfevident but as a social construction. The rapid succession of art styles that has characterized nineteenth- and twentieth-century Europe and the United States is taken by some to be emblematic of the innovativeness of modernity but by others as an indication of over-ripeness, cultural decadence, and anomie. For some observers, the entry of commercial art forms into galleries and museums (Cherbo 1997), the newly found respectability of previously denigrated musical forms such as jazz (Adorno 1976), the growing presence of non-Western music, simultaneously in commercial and serious musical domains, are a sign of the West’s decline. Many question whether these genres— new entrants to “Art”—deserve to be so designated (Zolberg 1990).

For sociologists of culture, generally more dispassionate than cultural critics, developments of this kind provide opportunities for research and theorizing that many analysts hope will help to understand the nature of societal transformations more generally. The use and misuse of aesthetic creation in the interest of particular groups or political ends is one of their recurring concerns (Gans 1974, 1999; Goldfarb 1982; Halle 1993). At the same time, the idea of a domain of art free from material purposes outside of itself remains a seemingly unrealizable ideal, both for artists and for publics more generally.

Methodological approaches range from an empiricism that relies on quantitative tools to analyze masses of available data, such as the degree of access to cultural resources (Blau 1988), survey data of art world practices, and audience studies (Gans 1974). Equally empirical, but based on microscopic observation and qualitative analysis of cultural practices, is the ethnography of Howard S. Becker’s (1982) Artworlds. Historical and semiotic perspectives have been imported from literary analysis into the social studies. Even more striking is that the range of works and art forms investigated has burgeoned and includes the commercial domain—culture industry—as well as the more traditional fine arts (Peterson 1997). Increasingly, sociologists, following Gans (1974), recognize that the arts may exclude as well as include. The absence of certain classes of aspiring artists such as women and racial minorities from what were defined as the most distinguishing and distinguished art forms is no longer taken for granted (Bourdieu [1979] 1984).

In its most distinctive manifestation, American sociology of culture has synthesized approaches to the social study of science, religion, and work, under the rubric of the “production of culture” (Peterson 1976). Defining culture in a broadly pragmatic sense that allies it to anthropology, it comprises art, popular culture, science, religion, symbols or, more generally, meanings, Richard Peterson and his associates urged that the questions broached by scholars themselves determine the use of synchronic or diachronic modes according to their appropriateness. Proponents of the production of culture approach consider how cultural products were constituted, accentuating the effects of institutional and structural arrangements, both as facilitators of or impediments to creation. Characteristically, they prefer doing middle-range and microscopic analysis that, they believe, more effectively reveals the impact of laws, culture industry practices, and gatekeepers of the form and content of artworks.

Institutions and Processes

Critics and artists have decried, virtually since their establishment, the role of certain institutions, such as official academies and government agencies or ministries that are supposed to provide support for artistic creation. Following the pioneering sociological study by Harrison White and Cynthia White (1965), among the first to analyze systematically the changing structure of opportunity that the French Academy provided for artists of the French painting world in the nineteenth century, more recently, a study of how academies selected for exclusion was carried out by Gladys Engel Lang and Kurt Lang (1990). Focusing on the revival of etching as an art form in the nineteenth century, they show how keeping out or severely limiting women as students and members by most European academies impeded their entry into the highly regarded world of oil painting. Diverted to other, lesser media, such as etching and watercolor, whose professional organizations were newer and less restrictive, aspiring women artists were able to launch careers and gain a measure of status and recognition.

Research on French art institutions has continued to thrive with the work of Raymonde Moulin on the interplay among art museums, the art market, and government policy in providing official recognition for innovative art (1992). In the United States, a system in which the national government’s support for the arts is far more limited, and even declining, the study of how institutions affect the arts has advanced under the leadership of Paul DiMaggio (1986a, 1986b) and Judith Balfe (1993).

Artistic Practices and Worlds of Art

The most significant contribution to understanding how the arts are constituted was Howard S. Becker’s (1982) Artworlds. By adapting a “sociology of work” approach to study what is customarily viewed as unique creations of individual geniuses, Becker’s premise is that making art is not qualitatively different from engagement in other social activities. Becker argues that far from being an individual act, the making of art needs to be understood as a collective process, in which interactions among participants, of whom the named artist is only one, result in the production of “artworks.” The other participants—support personnel— may range from assistants to servants, to managers or agents, critics, buyers, and organizations. Taking into account the size and complexity of modern societies, Becker does not reduce the arts to a single art world. Instead, he argues that art making is constituted in four principal art worlds, each characterized by a particular style of working, based on its own conventions. Thus, the integrated professional artist is trained according to the conventions of an art form such as music, painting, and dance, within the domain either of high culture or commercial. The Maverick is also trained according to those conventions but refuses to abide by them, preferring to risk isolation and failure to innovate on his own terms. The folk artist works within conventions traditional in his community’s lore. Finally, outside of actual constituted art worlds, the least integrated is the naive artist, untrained in art who follows an internal urging to create works that represent idiosyncratic experiences or ideas about religion, representations of personal remembrances, or even aberrations and madness. Whereas the other art worlds have ties to regular art world institutions or practitioners or make it their business to develop ties to them, naive artists must be “discovered” by others or else remain unknown (Becker 1982).

Art and Its Publics: Status Reproduction and Taste

One of the most misleading adages of all time must be there’s no arguing about taste. In reality, taste is always being argued about. Thorstein Veblen (1934) had been one of the first social scientists to interpret the symbolic meanings of taste in his analysis of leisure class behavior during the Gilded Age. Approximately a half century later, Russell Lynes ([1949] 1980) published his classification of high-, middle-, and low-brow taste preferences, in which artworks and fashion are taken as status markers. On the basis of writings by these and other astute analysts, a number of sociologists have noted that taste, in art, design, and fashion may be a person’s social standing. Far from viewing taste as trivial, purely personal, and difficult to fathom because it is nonrational, sociologists such as Bourdieu contend that taste is social in its formation, symbolic in its expression, and has real social consequences for individuals and social institutions. In his more complex level of analysis, Bourdieu goes beyond the idea of taste as a “right” of consumerism. Instead, his observations of social differences in artistic taste enable him to show linkages among taste, symbolic status, and the mechanisms by which they tend to reproduce existing status hierarchies in society at large from generation to generation. Treating taste as an aspect of the individual’s cultural baggage, a durably structured behavioral orientation whose origin stems from early childhood experience in the family, and schooling, Bourdieu employs a variety of methods, quantitative and ethnographic, to show how taste functions as a form of capital to crystallize inequalities based on economic and social advantages or disadvantages. In this way, taste becomes a badge of social honor or, conversely, of scorn, signaling to influential groups that some are more acceptable than others (Bourdieu [1979] 1984, [1992] 1995).

English sociologists of culture have been pursuing cultural reproduction from a parallel perspective. Although they do not, as a rule, use large surveys of taste, many have analyzed the content and uses of aesthetic culture, both high and popular. Raymond Williams (1981), beginning from a Marxian perspective, and moving between literary or film criticism and academic life, was a major influence on what became the field of Culture Studies. Beyond the simple base-superstructure correspondence of Marxism, in which culture is conceived as merely epiphenomenal to existing production relationships, Williams, Stuart Hall (1980), and Janet Wolff (1984), among many others, conceived of culture as a constitutive practice in the construction of social meanings. They have tried to overcome the prevailing, decontextualized, literary-critical mode of analysis by elucidating the relations between, on the one hand, cultural images, objects, and practices, and on the other, social institutions and processes. Scholars associated with the Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies analyzed many aspects of British youth subcultures, and their relationship to new artistic styles.

It would be disingenuous to suggest that there is complete agreement among sociologists about how taste and status are related, and with what consequences. Whereas Bourdieu attributes expertise in manipulating symbolic capital through complex codes available in the lore of dominant class fractions, many others prefer to emphasize observable changes in social stratification patterns, and the conditions of their expression. One of those who question Bourdieu’s analysis is David Halle (1993), who has studied the collection and display of art inside of people’s homes. His interviews with elite collectors of abstract art reveal that, contrary to Bourdieu’s assumption, collectors have little facility or understanding of the works they own. Indeed, such art is nearly as esoteric for them as for nonelites. Halle finds widespread sharing of taste across status lines, especially noting a nearly universal and, it appears, similar mode of appreciation of the landscape genre. Moreover, although educational level is an important enabler of high culture taste, ethnicity and race play important roles in how people select works for the home, in contrast to their responses to questionnaires administered in public spaces (Halle 1993).

Equally unexpected, in their studies of how musical tastes are related to occupational status, Peterson and Simkus suggest that although classical music continues to be a marker for high status occupational groups, more striking is the great breadth of their preference for a variety of music. Thus, whereas less than a third of respondents occupying prestigious occupations say they like classical music best, a somewhat larger proportion say they prefer country and Western music to grand opera. More “distinguishing” is that high-status individuals participate in more cultural activities and enjoy a wider range of music than do those of lesser status. As Peterson and Simkus put it, they are “omnivores” as opposed to less elite groups, whose range of taste in music is much more limited, and whom they characterize as “univores” (Peterson and Simkus 1993:152–86).

For scholars of Renaissance behavior, the omnivore is strongly reminiscent of the character type emergent with the “civilizing process” to which Norbert Elias (1978) devoted his early figurational analysis. In that period of expanded possibilities for travel in Europe as feudalism declined centralized states and monarchical structures began to form, promising young men (and rare women) from more or less isolated localities were being drawn to centers offering new opportunities. They had to learn to behave differently before a new audience and circles of courtly societies than they had in the familiar traditional worlds they inhabited, where their status (for better or for worse), was secure. Cosmopolitanism and the idea of the Renaissance Man came to mark the ideal of behavior, giving rise to a virtual industry of etiquette books, epic poetry, and other literature by authorities such as Erasmus, Castiglione, Chaucer, Shakespeare (Elias 1978). To be considered a country bumpkin was disastrous for seekers after the Renaissance notion of fame. As Bourdieu points out, these qualities became institutionalized in the development of secondary and higher education from the sixteenth through the twentieth centuries, and remnants of this cultural structure persist despite, as Bourdieu noted, the twentieth century’s valorization of science and technology (Bourdieu [1979] 1984).

But What Is Art?

Finally, whereas in the past scholars investigating the place of the arts in society have taken for granted the categories of art conventionally agreed to by art world participants, in recent times certain sociologists have turned their attention to tracing how art classifications are constructed. Like the sociologist of science, Bruno Latour (1987), who questions the processes by which certain frameworks of analysis, categories, and findings come to be incorporated into the scientific canon, some see even more plausible reasons for interrogating how artistic canons are established. Art is a stake in the arena of competition that pervades much of social life, as Bourdieu contends, not only for artists themselves, but for their supporters, patrons, collectors, dealers, and for the writers and scholars who constitute the art worlds in which they exist. In recent times, under pressure from potential publics, market forces, including collectors, and political action, and in light of the openness of the fine arts to new media, existing cultural institutions, such as art museums, are exhibiting works previously excluded from consideration as Art. Previously, for example, African carvings were largely consigned to ethnological collections; now, their entry into art museums has taken the form of an upward spiral in prestige; art of the “insane” has attained high market value (Anne E. Bowler as cited in Zolberg and Cherbo 1997:11–36); and women artists are gaining a level of recognition that had routinely been denied them (Zolberg and Cherbo 1997:1–8). In the worlds of culture industry as well, new musical forms such as “Rock-n-roll” and Rap have emerged from the interplay of business developments, technological innovations, and enacted statutes in such fields as copyright law, which set the parameters for works to come to public attention (Ennis 1992:5–7).

The seemingly impermeable barrier between high art and popular art that took over a century to construct (Levine 1988) has since been breached countless times, not only in America but in Europe as well (Circle 1993:12). In the past three decades, even the massive wall between commercial art forms and the “disinterested” arts has endured a jolting to the point of crumbling. The entry of Latin American, Asian, and African visual and musical forms and motifs into the Western dominated canon has gained increasing legitimacy and audiences (Zolberg 1997:53–72). Moreover, since any kind of art—fine, popular, commercial—may be disseminated through commercial channels of distribution, adding the interplay of official policy with market forces helps to thicken one’s understanding of processes of democratization.

21st Century Prospects for the Arts in American Sociology

By the beginning of the third millennium, the sociological study of culture and the arts is no longer a stepchild of the serious business of sociologists. If not central, then the arts are at least legitimately scholarly, as opposed to a frivolous subject. This flowering came about despite the traditional anti-aesthetic orientation in American social science and the more general unease between social science and the arts. Still, the position of the arts in the social science disciplines continues to remain tenuous and requires repeatedly renewed justification as an intellectual enterprise. In part, this is due to the fact that the crux of the arts since the Renaissance has been the artist as an individual, a tradition of several centuries that emphasizes the uniqueness of the actor and the work he (rarely, she) created. While the notion of such individual agency is relatively compatible with the discipline of psychology, it is less easily reconciled with the collectivist understanding of behavior by sociology. As noted above, this perception underlies the view of art as a collective process (Becker 1982) and sociologists’ emphasis on the production rather than creation of culture. Retaining or reinserting the individual artist as a creative agent has both ethical importance, since it implies respect for the autonomy of the individual, and intellectual validity in a discipline that could easily reduce art to no more than an outcome of general structures and processes. Thus, whereas culture has become a deeply embedded component of sociology dealing with science, theory, macrohistorical questions, education, religion, ethnicity, to name a few, the place of the traditional fine arts has not grown proportionately.

Two edited books published under the aegis of the ASA Culture Section seem to confirm this observation. Whereas the first, Diana Crane’s (1994) edited collection includes an essay on the arts, the second volume, edited by Elizabeth Long, includes not even one chapter on the fine arts and only one that even approaches this domain (Long 1997). On the other hand, the third and most recent collection of Culture Section sponsored essays suggests that the arts have conquered a new place in the sociological sun (Mark D. Jacobs and Nancy Weiss Hanrahan 2005). The coeditors rehearse the several decades in American social science characterized by “the cultural turn,” the reconceptualization of culture away from the functionalist emphasis on the need for culture to bring about a homogeneous consensus in society. Instead, proponents of the cultural turn sought variations and heterogeneity in the arrival on the public scene of pluralism and tolerance of difference. Rather than require uniformity, the goal is for a more “organic” (as in Durkheim’s formulation) conception to be the basis of social solidarity, not to promote conformity but individual human agency.

The cultural turn had challenged the elite standing of high culture by recognizing the existence of talent and striving among all social groups and the democratization embedded in Pragmatism. For all the attractiveness of openness to different forms, culture was frequently reduced to unending debate on ideology, functionalism, and essentialism versus constructivism. In a break from the past, Jacobs and Hanrahan (2005) put forth a new idea in the field of cultural sociology. They refer to “this newly emerging conception of culture as . . . an aesthetic one, which offers possibilities for intensifying and re-imagining the experience of civic life” (p. 12). From a static or, at the most, slowly changing notion of societal existence, their new approaches emphasize the dynamism of process and human intervention and their impact on existing traditional structures. Beyond these important changes, the new aesthetic conception helps, instead, in the more than two dozen essays by American, Canadian, European, and Asian sociologists, to turn toward normative commitments for the revival of civic discourse in relation to legality and social justice, the politics of recognition, and “the potentialities of ordinary experience” Jacobs and Hanrahan (2005).

Democratization in Diversity

In the context of American idea systems, Peterson’s innovations and the efforts of others associated with the production of culture school are likely to continue to drive research. This approach prepares the way for scholars to enlarge their repertoire of questions and take into account the impact on creation and reception of the arts in light of the enormous changes in the ethnic make up of the American population since the end of World War II. Sources of immigration have been changed decisively by new laws and population movements: Hispanic, Chinese, Indian/Pakistani, Middle Eastern, Russian, peoples of a broad range of educational levels and aspirations. They provide an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the interactions with the varied Anglo-centric cultural choices that have until now been the focus of most studies. Demands for access to elite culture now include not merely “visitors” from modest economic backgrounds, whose entry is far from being attained either in North America or in Europe (Circle 1993:96, 103, 129), but crosscutting socioeconomic distinctions, differences of gender, ethnicity, and race or religion. Each of these may have aesthetic implications that the conflict, as usually expressed— quantity versus quality—does not encompass.

The extraordinary transformation of the international arena in recent years requires that scholarship move more explicitly outside of the American scholarly world and into the wider international realm. This is essential in a world that brings together what had been largely national concerns. As is true of other intellectual fields, the arts are no longer understandable in terms of one society alone since few societies are either homogeneous or sealed off from other geographic, national, or societal units. Thus, whereas it may still be possible to study such issues as arts censorship in the context of a single society, it is more likely that political transformations open the door to new conflicts as global phenomena.

Related to globalization, technological innovations in cyberspace and computer technology militate even more poignantly against retaining the single society as the primary unit of analyses. They not only permit new forms of artistic expression but also enhance attempts to evade control over art content. Providing new avenues for artistic dissemination, they also substitute for direct contact with the storehouses of art, the museum. This suggests that this contextual metamorphosis will set the parameters of the next phase of studies in the sociology of the arts. Cultural sociologists have through theory, example, and practice contributed to the vital and potentially dangerous debates that pervade questions of “identity,” including ethnicity, gender, race, or religion, with strongly political loadings. Pursuing questions of meaning, identity, and value in terms of American society alone is clearly insufficient to understanding social processes and emergent structures. As American sociologists burst the bonds of narrow parochialism and enter the adventurous terrain of global processes, they foster a cosmopolitanism that challenges existing approaches and conceptualizations of the social sciences.

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Researching Artworks and Artists
The International Foundation for Art Research maintains a free database of published and forthcoming catalogues raisonnés. In the library catalog, search the Library Catalog scope for: [Artist's name; Last Name, First Name] - Catalogues raisonnés (example: Hopper, Edward - Catalogues raisonnés).
Front page
The Journal for Artistic Research (JAR) is an international, online, Open Access and peer-reviewed journal that disseminates artistic research from all disciplines. ... visual art. narrative. pain. landscape. archive. representation. Time. practice-based research. public space. education. mapping. Art. video. design. poetry. improvisation ...
Oxford Art Journal
Celebrating 40 years of Oxford Art Journal. Oxford Art Journal marked its 40th anniversary in 2018. In celebration of this important milestone, browse a collection of articles which have been hand-picked by the editors. Selected papers represent various forms of critical, innovative work published between 1978 and 2018. Explore the collection
Arts-Based Research
Introduction. The term arts-based research is an umbrella term that covers an eclectic array of methodological and epistemological approaches. The key elements that unify this diverse body of work are: it is research; and one or more art forms or processes are involved in the doing of the research.How art is involved varies enormously. It has been used as one of several tools to elicit ...
Artificial intelligence in fine arts: A systematic review of empirical
The final dataset comprised 44 research articles published between 2003 and the end of May 2022 (see Table 2).The number of studies published has increased in the last few years, as Fig. 2 shows. Of all the included studies (n = 44), the majority (n = 37, 84%) were conducted in a single country.The largest number of studies were conducted in the United States (n = 14, 32%), followed by China ...
Guidelines for Writing Art History Research Papers
A key reference guide for researching and analyzing works of art and for writing art history papers is the 10th edition (or later) of Sylvan Barnet's work, A Short Guide to Writing about Art. Barnet directs students through the steps of thinking about a research topic, collecting information, and then writing and documenting a paper.
Artistic Practice and Research: an Artist-scholar Perspective
Art Research Papers 1, no. 1 (1994/ ... This is a reflective or theoretical paper, which considers a number of research paradigms and traditions and explores the relevance of Critical Realism as ...
Full article: "The Art(ist) is present": Arts-based research
The methodological approach that emerges uses the potential of Art in order to reach a deep understanding of phenomena. ABR can be defined as an effort to go beyond restrictions that limit communication in order to express meanings that otherwise could be unintelligible (Barone & Eisner, Citation 2012).From a methodological perspective, ABR could be understood as a systematic use of processes ...
Guidelines for Analysis of Art
Some of these sources also give information about writing a research paper in art history - a paper more ambitious in scope than a formal analysis. M. Getlein, Gilbert's Living with Art (10th edition, 2013), pp. 136-139 is a very short analysis of one work.
Full article: A visual, journal practice: Journal of Visual Art
Global art practice. journal practice. visual art practice. It is a great pleasure to have taken on the editorship of Journal of Visual Art Practice in what is its 20th year. This issue has been put together with the anniversary in mind, both to look back, to offer reflection, but also to look ahead and to put into practice some timely changes.
What is Art?
This research aims to focus in the most actual review of the concept, to which the research papers of Andina (2017) and Kreutzbauer (2017) are some of the most actual about the issue. 1.1.2 Personal motivation for the research I chose this topic for my thesis because I am a music composer, and I intend to be an artist. ... The vision of ...
What Is Art Good For? The Socio-Epistemic Value of Art
Scientists, humanists, and art lovers alike value art not just for its beauty, but also for its social and epistemic importance; that is, for its communicative nature, its capacity to increase one's self-knowledge and encourage personal growth, and its ability to challenge our schemas and preconceptions. However, empirical research tends to ...
Frontiers
The results of the painting style and the art expertise interaction are presented in Figure 3A, and mean values are listed in Table 2.Simple effect analysis showed that non-experts showed more liking toward Chinese-style paintings, F(1, 297) = 7.27, p = 0.007 than experts, but not for Western-style paintings, F(1, 297) = 0.01, p = 0.943. Experts showed more liking toward Western-style than ...
Art in an age of artificial intelligence
These research programs go beyond asking people if they like an image, or find it beautiful or interesting. ... The work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction. A museum studies approach to Heritage. ... We asked GPT-3 to write an academic paper about itself—then we tried to get it published. Berlin: Scientific American.
136 Most Interesting Art Research Paper Topics
20 Engrossing Art Research Paper Topics on Artist Biography Analyzing the life and work of a particular artist can help you understand them better and uncover the symbolism and hidden meanings in their work. Let's go over some engaging art topics for research papers, covering some of the most influential artists in history. 18th century:
Preparing Your Best Artwork for Journals
An indispensable feature of nearly all manuscripts—especially in the natural sciences—is the inclusion of high-quality artwork 1. Its purpose is to enhance the visual understanding of the reported research. Typically, such artwork combines two or more: line graphs (figures, chart), tables, GIS-maps, photo images, and conceptual illustrations.
(PDF) Art of Designing an e-Art Gallery
Art of Designing an e-Art Gallery. Anupam Chandra and Praveen Uchil. Abstract This paper provides insights into the design research process and out-. comes of an art gallery website designed by a ...
333 Art Research Paper Topics & Ideas
Art research paper topics cover a fascinating field, where numerous themes range from the study of specific artistic movements, periods, and styles to investigations into the socio-political context of art, including the use of new technologies in contemporary artistic practices. Various topics may explore the complexities of abstract ...
Art History Research Paper Topics
100 Art History Research Paper Topics. Art history, as a field of study, covers thousands of years and countless cultures, offering an expansive array of topics for research papers. When embarking on an art history project, you can focus on certain eras, explore individual artists or art movements, investigate the role of art in specific ...
Top Art Research Paper Topic for All Students
In your art research paper topics you can touch upon Francisco de Goya, Henri Rousseau, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, and others. Papers on the 20th-Century Art. The 20th-century ideas for art research paper topics are multiple and diverse due to the emergence of artistic movements and global changes.
Explore 200 Captivating Art Research Paper Topic Ideas
Art Research Paper Topics on Diverse Fields. Below is an extensive pool of research paper topics that you can choose to write an art research paper on. Contemporary Art Research Paper Topics . Eco-Friendly Practices in Contemporary Sculpture and Installation Art; Digital NFT Art Redefining Ownership and Authenticity in the Art World
Good Examples of Artist Research Pages
Janet Fish research page by Serena Arya (Bolton School Girls' Division) The simple black and white presentation with torn edges below, reflects the artists work. There's nothing like a bit of white pen on black paper to create an artistic-looking page. Over 50% of the annotation is the student's response to the work.
Writing in Art History
Where/how we teach this Threshold Concept: Research papers in upper level courses, at the end of Art 285 and the Art 480 seminar, and as part of the capstone project and honors theses ideally move students through this threshold. Being able to do this involves building upon awareness and skills gained in Threshold Concepts 1 and 2.
Art Research Paper
Art Research Paper. This sample art research paper features: 6600 words (approx. 22 pages) and a bibliography with 52 sources. Browse other research paper examples for more inspiration. If you need a thorough research paper written according to all the academic standards, you can always turn to our experienced writers for help.

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Article contents

Introduction

Why Use Art?

Art, Research Purpose, and Research Validity

Different Kinds of Purpose

Using Art to Research Social Issues: Collecting Data

Art Processes as Tools for Analysis

Art as a Means to Present Findings

Emotion—and Its Power

A/r/tography and Examination of Places Between

A Conference Debate, and the Politics of Research

Site for Possibilities—and Questions

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Part I – General Information

Part II – Brief Description

Part III – Form

Art Elements

Principles of Design

Part IV – Opinions and Conclusions

General Suggestions

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