Art Links Galore

I came across this site DARE (Digital Art Resource for Education) whilst researching Space & Place for my first semester assignment. I have not looked at them all yet but there are some very useful links.

Citing and Referencing

An essential aspect of writing essays and dissertations is the referencing (or citing) of ALL source material. This includes the obvious references such as books, journals monographs, less obvious sources like maps, newspapers, theses, brochures, radio, TV etc and increasingly the Internet. There are two parts to a reference, the point in the text where the reference occurs and the actual reference itself, listed at the end of the document.

There are two main systems of citing references, the Harvard system (also known as the Author-date system) and the British Standard (or numeric system). Both are acceptable but in the Humanities which includes the arts the British Standard system is preferred as the in text reference style is less intrusive.

The main difference between the two systems is the way the reference is cited within the body of your text. There is very little difference in the way the reference is written

Harvard System - Jones (2008, p45) where you are using the name of the author in your text or (Jones, 2008, p45) where you are just referencing the author.

British Standard System - you would cite the reference by using a number in the form (5), [5], or superscript 5. The reference is then added to your work as a footnote or endnote

In the endnotes of bibliography the reference would be constructed as follows:-

Harvard System

For a book:-

• Author(s)
• Initials
• Date
• Title of book (in italic)
• Publisher
• Place of publication
• Total number of pages

Eg. - Jones J.K. 2008. Art in 20th Century, London: Pergamon

For a Journal:-

• Author(s)
• Initials
• Date in ( ) brackets
• Title of article in "quotation marks"
• Title of journal in italic
• Volume (part number, month or season)
• Page reference eg. pp. 250-300

Eg. - Parker A.J.(2008)"A Way of Seeing" Art Review. 25(June) pp.1-22

British Standard System

For a book:-

• Author(s)
• Initials
• Title of book (in italic)
• Place of publication:
• Publisher
• Date

Eg. - Jones J.K.Art in 20th Century.London:Pergamon, 2008

For a Journal:-

• Author(s)
• Initials
• Title of article in "quotation marks"
• Title of journal in italic
• Volume (part number, month or season)
• Date (Year)
• Page reference eg. pp. 250-300

Eg - Parker A.J."A Way of Seeing" Art Review.1(June), 2008, pp.1-22

Referencing the Internet is a particularly complex area due to the wide variation of source material. To explain the process is too much for this brief introduction. I would advise that you consult the reference I have cited below.

You should find out which system your college or university would prefer you to use and then ensure you apply it consistently.

For full and frank explanation of how to reference any conceivable source I would recommend an excellent publication "Cite them right" the Essential guide to referencing and plagiarism. Oh yes plagiarism, now there is a "tin of worms". You would do to read learn and inwardly digest before you put pen to paper.

Students are advised to record their sources as they consult them rather than trying to remember the source after you have finished their piece of work. Keep a notebook handy.

The book can be obtained from Amazon for the princely sum of £5.49 although the Library copy I have, is priced at £4.99

"Cite them right The essential guide to referencing and plagiarism"
Richard Pears and Graham Shields
ISBN: 0-9551216-04
Stonebrook Print and Design Services Ltd
2005

REFERENCE
Pears R. & Shields G. "Cite them right. The Essential guide to referencing and plagiarism", Newcastle: Stonebrook Print and Design Services Ltd, 2005.

Bournmouth University

Keeping a Reflective Diary

Daily Reflection: A Ten-Minute Exercise
This is a more demanding discipline than the Learning Diary, as it requires daily reflection on one's learning cf. at the end of each week. Its advantage is that through a regular commitment, one 'learns faster' i.e., you have the opportunity to live not only 'bumped around' on the surface of life, but with a deeper understanding and mastery of the opportunities of life.

Exercise

1. Choose a safe place (i.e., comfortable, peaceful environment where you are unlikely to be interrupted for 10 minutes), relax your body and become attentive but open.
2. Begin positively. Recall something in the day that was good. It may have been something that you really valued: a kind word, a good conversation, a beautiful rainbow or even a simple equation (that succinctly summed up so much!). Then re-live that experience, savor it for a minute and express gratitude for it.
3. Have a moment of silence, then let one thing surface in your mind. An indication of something to reflect on, may be a niggle, a mental preoccupation, a tension or a strong feeling.
• Think around the situation: how it began, how it developed, why it bothered me so deeply etc.
• Reflect on this. Can't I stand being criticised and always want to look as though I'm right? Am I intolerant? Do I not understand the subject area?
• Recognise it - own it - this is me! It may be painful but I faced it! Talk over these feelings with yourself. You may begin here to realise that it is not so serious and begin to smile to yourself as you put it into perspective.
• Realise that having come thus far (e.g., facing the pain), you have grown a little in self knowledge and awareness. Express gratitude at this point. Realise also that in growing you have also grown for others and in so doing (if done humbly i.e., not for selfish reasons) then you are also helping the development of humankind.
4. An example may be: a conversation that made me feel being got at, or a badly answered question in a tutorial that made me look stupid; so I'm hurt, angry, resentful, I want to retaliate; it has spoiled my day and I want to/have taken out my bitterness on others etc.
5. Now, may be the appropriate time to 'formally' finish the reflection in any manner that seems appropriate to you e.g., a good stretch, saying a meaningful verse of a poem or a simple prayer. Then have a cup of tea!
6. You may wish to work further with your insight, either now or later (make a note in your diary) i.e., how you can move on from here (to complete the Learning Cycle). Do not rush any insights. Let them have time (at least a few days) to mature, by keeping them gently in mind.

References
http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-reflect.htm

Keeping a Learning/Reflective Diary

AIMS

• To allow you to regularly reflect on significant experiences associated particularly with your (University) learning.
• To help you become aware and acknowledge what you have learnt/how you have progressed.
• To help identify issues/problem associated with your learning, and by so doing, enable you to consider options for their resolution etc.

APPROACH

• Use a soft backed small exercise book (not loose paper) to record your thoughts.
• Spend no more than five minutes every day, (rather than half an hour, once a week) to get started.
• Review what you have written once a week (e.g. Sunday evening; when you might also be planning your coming week activity). Also, review what you have written more generally every month/two months to gain an overview/discover trends, etc.
• If nothing "comes" - leave it to the following day (but write down some comment e.g. ‘nothing today’).

WHAT TO WRITE

• "Activities"/situations/experiences that went well or were difficult
• Unexpected problems or issues e.g. solving a particular maths problem (that you had revised carefully) or explaining an idea in a group project meeting.
• Habits that you have notices in yourself or others (which have some relevance)
• How you feel about the way you are doing things e.g. items of understanding, clarity of thought, strength of actions, awareness.
• How effective you are e.g. using feedback from others, achieving goals (assignment deadlines, finding information in library, keeping a learning diary! etc.)
• Anything else that feels of importance to you - even though you may not understand the significance of it.

WHY DO IT?

• It helps you to learn from your successes, as well as your mistakes
• It makes it more likely that you will use what you have learnt next time i.e. rather than ‘making the same mistakes’, "falling back on old habits’ etc.
• It gives you an opportunity to plan concisely what you want to do, what you want to change, etc.
• It may help you feel more in "control of your life", more positive, deepen your understanding, etc.

Art is Like Smoking

Art is a bit like smoking. As a non-smoker you wonder what the other guys sees in it. Don't they realise they are shortening their lives! You so wish the penny would drop and they could begin to enjoy life without cigarettes. When the penny does drop and you discover you don't cough in the morning and you don't need a Vindaloo to be able to taste your food. You realise what you have been missing. Discovering Art is a similar mind expanding experience, you feel so sorry for those who have yet to see the light. Just as it is impossible to convince a smoker through rational debate that they should give up. So it is impossible to convince the unenlightened that they should try to understand Art.

I have been a photographer for best part of 50 years. I enjoy all aspects of the medium but my preferences are towards what is grudgingly described in photographic circles as “Fine Art Photographs”. It was only when I started on an Art Foundation course and began to study the “history of art” that I realised what it was that attracted me to this genera of photography. It also made me consider more openly the visual angst of modern or contemporary photography.

I am tempted to argue the case for contemporary photography further but I suspect that Mr Joe Soaps mind is not susceptible to change just yet. I would rather that he saw the light himself, put his prejudices to one side, opened his mind and discovered the enlightenment that awaits him. Just as the hardened smoker must.

I will offer an emolument to Mr Soap by saying that I find art speak, erudite, facile, pretentious and exasperating. But you should not allow the Brian Sewells of this world to close your mind. You need to see past the misconceptions of what Art is all about and be prepared to be uncomfortable whilst your mind opens and expands enough to start enjoying the challenge of appreciating Art. It probably will not help but it may be worth considering that many artists who broke the mould where ridiculed and misunderstood at the time. The Expressionists for example, people queue around the block to view their works today. In their day they were just looked upon as a bunch of sex crazed, boozed up, angst ridden weirdo's. (Why am I thinking Amy Winehouse)? Similarly Dorothea Lange’s work was looked upon with distain by the critics when first presented to the public. Today it is now appreciated for both its documentary and artistic qualities.

It is my impression over my 50 years as a photographer that most photographers have a very superficial view of both the history and the aesthetic of photography. And zero knowledge of the history of art and the influence the invention of photography had on the development of art in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. They are more concerned by the hardware and the technology. The image for many is almost a bi-product of the process.

What is Art? Well that's a subject for another day!

Painting: Vincent van Gogh’s Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette

Getting started on the art endevour

I have been interested in photography since I was about 13 and have had a wider interest in all things creative. My mother’s father was a photographer and a tattooist around the turn of the century i.e. late 1800's. My mother also dabbled with a brush and pencil. So I suppose there is a genetic creative streak in me. Although I find traditional wet photography a fascinating and very creative medium I find digital photography much less satisfying. For the last couple of years, since I had to give up my darkroom when we moved house, I have been searching for another outlet for my creative frustrations. Retirement, 12 months ago seemed an appropriate point for a change in direction. It was time to put to good use the collection of how to paint and draw books and boxes of tubes and pans that family and friends had been buying as birthday and Christmas gifts over the past few years. It was time to dust them off and get my beret out!

But where does one start? As luck would have it the winter season of further education classes was about to start. In a very spooky coincidence the prospectus from Lancaster University dropped on the mat the following morning. A quick search revealed a daytime course which seemed to be just up my street, “An introduction to pen, ink and wash” one of my favourite art mediums. I rang up, enrolled, and waited with baited breath for the starting day to arrive.

The class was composed mainly of ladies of a certain age, the odd earnest gentleman and me, Mr Normal and well adjusted. The course was to last 10 weeks. The tutor, a knowledgeable lady who had come to teaching late in life showered us with enthusiasm. The objective of the course turned out to be the production of a portfolio which would be presented to the authorities (Lancaster University) as justification for keeping her in employment. This was what is described as a "Leisure Class" by those who take there art more seriously but we all have to start somewhere! As may be expected in a class of some 13 people there was a mix of talents and enthusiasm. Those who collected such classes like a train numbers and knew the ropes inside out. To the truly gifted person who should really have been enrolled in a proper Art School, no not me! A lively 70 year old who had brought up a large family and coped with a drunken abusive husband. Her greatest dream was to go to Glasgow Art School to fulfil her life long ambition to demonstrate her undoubted natural artistic skill. I stuck it out for 10 weeks, produced my portfolio, discovered I really could draw but this approach I found rather stifling. Did I really want to be an Artist?