Art Research Guide

Focus: Arts & Makerspace

Doing art research? You've got this. This guide can help. The world of information is vast and deep, but with the proper tools you can navigate the endless waters of information like a pro.

Get started here:

How do I pick an art topic?

Pick any of these points above, and you will find yourself browsing through many different areas. Pick something that interests you.
Make a keyword list related to items that match your interest. (You can use Google, Wikipedia text books, and OneSearch to gather a list of keywords)
Start combining keywords for more targeted art research using library databases!

Example:

Look at the Makerspace tools avalible and do research on what kind of art has been made from them? This could lead you to a specific artist, or art that was created for a specific purpose.
Look at a specific artist you really like, this could lead you to history, or mediums and to their process.

What is a Database?

Good news! You use databases all the time!

A database is just a collection of resources.

For example: Netflix and Youtube are databases filled with videos. Amazon is a database filled with items to purchase.

The Library's OneSearch is like a smart TV, searching accross multiple scholarly databases. You can also go into individual databases and do searches.

Get Started with OneSearch:

Start at the Library Home page (or through your portal)
Log in when prompted
Choose a topic to research
Make a keyword list
Try a basic OneSearch to start broad and get ideas and fine resources.
Use filters on left hand side to narrow your search
Use Boolean operators and Art Databases for advanced searching discussed below!

Basic Keyword Searching & Boolean Operators:

Note Keywords related to your search topic.

Your list of keywords can be gathered from any source (textbook, wikipedia, google, social media but for scholarly materials we must take our keywords to the library! Usually these will be names, places, things, and concepts.)

Start combining keywords for better search results
Add “AND” to make a targeted search that finds (ex: O’Keeffe AND Flowers)
Add OR to broaden a search if keyword isn’t getting results (Ex: Art OR Drawing OR Painting OR graphic)
Use NOT to specify (ex: India Bollywood Dance NOT Native American Dance)
Use the filters on the left hand side of the database to narrow a search from there.

Summary of Demo #1 & Creative Work Deliverable:

Used keywords: Artist influence name, painting, flowers, got articles, and books and images using OneSearch, JSTOR/ARTSTOR
Combine them togther into a zine/booklet pages (I used Canva which is free) to write about your artist influences with your visual images juxtaposed two pages could look like this:

How you talk about your work matters:

Q: "What do you paint?"
Option 1: "I paint flowers."
Option 2: "I paint large scale florals reminiscent of Georgia O'Keefe in a modern style exploring feminist and queer narratives."

Knowing who's shoulders you stand on adds depth and context to your work.

Advanced Database Searching

Example: Say you're on social media and you come accross this blog "12 Famous Protest Art Examples"

Go to Library home page https://www.library.fullerton.edu/
Click “Databases” in the upper left hand corner
Click the first drop down menu labeled “All Subjects”
Scroll down and click “Art (6)”
These are your 6 art specific databases, click the blue title to be taken to that database
Sign in when prompted using your CSUF ID

Combine it all together:

1. Put each key word in a separate line with synonyms use OR for MORE

Note: Databases automatically put AND in-between each line to help you.

2. Use “quotes” around words you want to appear together

3. Use the filters to narrow your search to the types of sources, specific subjects

4. Save your different source by: copying permalinks, send to email, download to computer, or sign into database and create an account with database to save on database.

5. Use citation generators to get started on your citations.

6. Visit Archives & Special Collections for local primary sources (advanced research)!

Creative Works

You've got all your sources! You've read and consumed all the resources and now you get to synthesize and put it all together!

Summary of Process:

Pick a topic
Make a list of keywords (authors, subject, terms)
OneSearch broad search
Subject specific database searching
Collect - create knowledge and make something!

Possibilities using the Makerspace:

Book/Zine/ Art Book: Your Art juxtaposed with your artist influence images and writings on how you are contributing to the global conversation of art in culture.

- - Goes with a portfolio
  - Works as a marketing tool
  - Shows your ability to contribute to the global conversation

2. Protest Art: Buttons, flags, laser printed key chains, and zines with protest materials to be distributed or prototype for mass production OR create a single work of protest art to be displayed. *

3. Get inspired! Take newly researched techniques, materials and experiment in a safe environment! TRY SOMETHING NEW.

- - It doesn't have to be the area you're studying, be inspired by trying something you've never done before.
  - Textil art integrated in!**
  - Multi-media: Try combining different art methods, teqniques and materials together into a final creative work using tools you don't normally have access to!

4. Sustainability:

- Up-cycle clothing using fashion research tied Met Gala
- Repurpose older items from a thrift store into art using Makerspace
- Vouge Red Carpet Met Gala

Wrap up:

This is a life long practice. You build the research muscles with practice and time.
You get to choose how you participate in the global conversation
This is Act 1 in a 3 Act Play.
The library is here to help you. Ask for help. This is YOUR library.

Video Demo

FAQs

"I don't have a specific topic yet, where do I start? "

Start by asking yourself, "What am I interested in?"
General OneSearch might help if you need help narrowing your focus
JSTOR Database might help with beginning broad research
Perhaps even a Google Scholar search to look for keywords and terms you can use

"I'm not finding anything on my topic! What's wrong?"

Nothing is wrong! This is totally normal and that's why libraries are here to help!
Look at your keywords. Are there other related terms that you could search for?
Is there a broader umbrella topic we could search within?
Try using these other search terms and keywords to broaden your topic!

"I'm finding way too many hits, I am overwhelmed and I don't know how to narrow it down or how to sift through it all!"

This is totally normal and we can help you filter down these results to only what you need.
Look on the left hand side of the database/OneSearch and use the filters to limit what you are looking for.
If you need scholarly peer reviewed sources click that box to limit your search to just that!

Fill out this FORM to propose a collaboration!!!

Google Docs Research Template to help you start your search. Feel free to copy this template to start organizing your own research.

*Image Right in the protest art examples: Kate DeCiccio. (2018). Amanda Gorman -- We The Future -- Write Our Own Liberation. Courtesy of the Richard F. Brush Art Gallery. https://jstor.org/stable/community.24679390

*Image in the left in protest art example: Shepard Fairey. (2016-2020). Obey Giant -- March For Our Lives Poster -- Rise Above. Courtesy of the Richard F. Brush Art Gallery. https://jstor.org/stable/community.29732110

** Images of Multi-Media examples: Artist: Whitney Alyssa from Instagram "Art by Whitney Alyssa"

CSUF Prompt:

You will be presenting in an instruction room at the Pollak Library with a presenter’s computer, an LCD projector, screen, and whiteboard tables. Some attendees may be attending virtually via Zoom.

You may select a topic of your choice in preparing for this session. The scenario will be:

You have received an instruction request from an art faculty to teach a library session in which the students will be researching an art topic of their choice using library databases and utilizing the

Pollak Library Makerspace resources/tools/equipment to integrate their research into a creative work. You may be creative in how you connect the research to the Pollak Library Makerspace resources.

Please note that this library instruction session is for a group of 1st/2nd year CSUF students, many of whom are first-generation students from diverse backgrounds and possess limited experience in using an academic library.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse