Collins Library
 Course Research Web Page
University of Puget Sound 

Introduction: This page is intended as a resource for Puget Sound students enrolled in Art 367. It provides information and links to resources relevant to the course. For more information or help, drop by the library's information desk on the main floor of the library or call x3216. Students may also contact Lori Ricigliano, the Art Department's Liaison Librarian to set up an appointment for in depth research assistance.

Table of Contents: Background Information | Finding Books | Finding Journal Articles | Finding Journals | Reproductions | Web Sites

Assignments

Museum Paper

Choose a topic related to the collection of the Seattle Asian Art Museum based on your interest. Discuss at least one artwork on view in detail. Comparison between one art tradition and another in Chinese art or arts in neighboring countries (India, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, etc.) is encouraged. Be sure to take notes when you see the artworks that interest you. You can get some basic information about the objects from what the explanatory plaque said or what our tour docent emphasized. Please look at the artwork carefully and relate it to what you have learned in the class. This reflective observation will make your topic more initiative and informative. Remember, learning how to use your eye to see the various cultural features embodied in the image is the goal of our trip. Your own cultural background and college major or minor can be served as a good tool to develop your topic. It is important to have an appropriate title and to make a good argument. You are welcome to discuss your topic with the instructor before starting the writing.
Attributes of the paper:
1. 5 pages in length.
2. Please use page numbers.
3. Must be typed and double-spaced.
4. Use footnotes.
5. Minimum of two sources required (sources may be journal articles, books, catalogues).
6. Sources must be listed on a separate page and must include author’s name, title of article or book, journal title, page numbers, publisher, place, and date of publication.
7. Quotation should not be more than 20% of the paper. Massive quoting without giving sources will be treated as plagiarism.
8. Illustrations are expected because this is an art history writing assignment. You can draw the image(s) from life.
 

Viewing a Work of Art: Some Questions to Consider

Final Project and Presentation

One of your options is to write a research paper.

2. An engaging research paper of 8 pages.  You can develop what you’ve done in your previous reading reports or Museum Paper, and put your former work into different contexts you preferred.  Here are some ideas to stimulate your thinking, but you should not be limited by them:

 --Art and religion.  How art has evolved to meet the needs and embody the beliefs of different religions, as seen in Taoist, Confucian, and Buddhist art?

 --Cross-cultural encounters.  How did the cultural exchange with Asian countries (e.g. Buddhist art (Zen included), city-planning, ceramic-making, woodblock printing technique, etc., ) and the Western world shaped Chinese art in different periods?  How did Chinese artists respond?  How did they translate the imported styles and ideas into Chinese?

 -- Decorative vs. representational vs. expressional styles.  The history of Chinese art experienced a graduate shift of style from essentially decorative in the pre-Han period to increasingly representational in the Tang-Song period to expressionism from the Yuan Dynasty onwards.  What were the social causes of such a stylistic shift?  How did artistic style indicate social changes?

TIP: Make a research appointment with Lori if you need help finding research materials.

Background Information

Use these sources to find an overview of your topic, define terms, or suggest other sources. Books marked Reference are shelved on the main floor.

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

Biographical Sources

Iconography

 Finding Books

To find books in the library, use SIMON, the online catalog. You can search by author,  title, subject or keywords. Some suggested subject terms are listed below.

Other strategies include searching the name of the artist or the name of the dynasty.

You can also look for books in other libraries by searching...

To request a book not available through SUMMIT, fill out an interlibrary loan form, using ILLiad, the library's web based interlibrary loan system. First time users must set up an ILLiad account. The average turn around time to get a book is 11 working days.

Finding Journal Articles

Use the following databases to find articles on your topic. You may search by keyword, subject, or author.

Finding Journals

Some databases have the full text of the article; others do not. If there is no full text, check the link to the journal locator to determine if it's available through another database or another format.

The following example is from Art Index. Click on this icon to connect to the Journal Locator.

Once you click on this link, the following information will appear if the library has access to the journal.

If the article is not owned by the library, you will see the message "Sorry, this article is not available..." You have the option of requesting the article through interlibrary loan by clicking on the link.

Reproductions 

There are a number of sources for reproductions, including catalogs, web sites, databases, and search engines.

To find other reproductions, use an image search engine, like Google images.   

 Web Sites

Below is a selected list of web sites on Chinese Art.

Note: Keep in mind that not all web sites are created equal. Evaluate the information for accuracy, authority, objectivity, and coverage.

Table of Contents: Background Information | Finding Books | Finding Journal Articles | Finding Journals | Reproductions | Web Sites

Content Contact: Lori Ricigliano

 rev. 02.09
url: library.ups.edu/instruct/ricig/asianart/art367.htm