Flexible in approach and full of colorful examples, this textbook provides a basic introduction to what art is and can be in the lives of people who do not necessarily think of themselves as "artists." You will be taught about a variety of art themes, genres, materials, and processes that appeal to novice art makers. The lessons are organized by themes of general subject matter or media. Options are available for work in mixed media, crafts, photography and digital media, as well as in traditional drawing or painting media. After picking a theme of particular interest to you, look next at the four strands of lessons presented in that thematic unit. Moving from left to right, select one lesson from each consecutive strand and complete that lesson. Because each lesson builds upon previously presented knowledge and developed skill, as you progress through four lessons, one from each strand, you should grow in your understanding of art concepts, meanings, and processes, while also improving your art making skills. Completing this course will help you develop a new appreciation for the power and possibilities of art learning, by understanding better the art others create, as well as making it yourself.

"Themes of Contemporary Art: Visual Art after 1980 offers students and readers an introduction to recent art"--

02 In this fourth volume of the Art of the Twentieth Century series, the contributors address a fascinating variety of themes relating to art from the 1960s to the end of the century—the period of “postmodernism.”The first of the book’s seven chapters deals with the emergence in the 1960s of what has been called an “expanded field” for art activity. Other chapters discuss the consequences of Conceptual art for notions of the aesthetic; the Post-Conceptual practice of painting; practices of Post-Conceptual photography; video, performance, and installation art; and women’s practice and the question of gendered and nongendered objects. The final chapter explores the globalization of art at the end of the twentieth century. Full color illustrations are featured throughout the volume. Gill Perry is senior lecturer in art history, The Open University. Paul Wood is senior lecturer in art history, The Open University. In this fourth volume of the Art of the Twentieth Century series, the contributors address a fascinating variety of themes relating to art from the 1960s to the end of the century—the period of “postmodernism.”The first of the book’s seven chapters deals with the emergence in the 1960s of what has been called an “expanded field” for art activity. Other chapters discuss the consequences of Conceptual art for notions of the aesthetic; the Post-Conceptual practice of painting; practices of Post-Conceptual photography; video, performance, and installation art; and women’s practice and the question of gendered and nongendered objects. The final chapter explores the globalization of art at the end of the twentieth century. Full color illustrations are featured throughout the volume. Gill Perry is senior lecturer in art history, The Open University. Paul Wood is senior lecturer in art history, The Open University.

-World War I and American Art provides an unprecedented look at the ways in which American artists reacted to the war. Artists took a leading role in chronicling the war, crafting images that influenced public opinion, supported mobilization efforts, and helped to shape how the war's appalling human toll was memorialized. The book brings together paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, posters, and ephemera, spanning the diverse visual culture of the period to tell the story of a crucial turning point in the history of American art---