Product Overview
Written to engage and inspire students with little or no previous experience in studio art or art history, Approaches to Art builds the case for art's meaning and value. It goes further than standard textbook discussions of media, art movements, elements and principles, to explore the why behind artists' choices, demystifying the creative process.
Approaches to Art explores the universal language of composition, the hidden language of culture that impacts artistic styles, and the personal factors that drive an individual artist's decision making. It presents all the essential parts of art studystyle, composition, media and global art historyin a compelling format that invites critical thinking, and teaches multicultural visual literacy.
Students will not only learn the parts of art, they will gain a deep and lasting understanding of how much there is to appreciate. They will recognize the value of art in society, and the intellectual rigor that art appreciation requires.
Developed and class-tested over a period of several years, Approaches to Art is an ideal textbook for general education courses in introductory art history and art appreciation.
Ferdinanda Florence holds an M.F.A. in painting from the San Francisco Art Institute, and an M.A. in art history from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is a professor of art appreciation and art history at Solano Community College in Fairfield, California. A professional artist, she is represented by the Andrea Schwartz Gallery in San Francisco.
