Research in the Arts

Subject-Specific Research
Fine Arts

Examples | Methodology | Student Resources | Glossary | Teacher Resources

Use this initial page to acquire a general understanding of the research in Artistic fields. Your first decision is to choose your artistic form. Then review each of the methodology, visiting the links in the student resources section to develop a clearer understanding of Artistic Research. Be sure, once you have chosen your method of research, to revisit this overview page for additional assistance in conducting your specific research.

Artistic research is interdisciplinary. It utilizes one or more art forms. Literary texts include stories, novels, plays, poetry, diaries, journals, and letters. Visual arts include painting, photography, sculptures, fiber, drawing, film, multimedia, as well as architecture and historical artifacts. Performative works include drama, musical compositions, dance, as well as culturally-based performance of rituals.

I never made a painting as a work of art, it's all research. - Pablo Picasso

Historical - The Art of Cubism and its Role as an Expression of Culture.
Criticism - Study of the Portrayal of Minorities in the Film, Media, and Entertainment Industries (Standford university)
Anthropological (qualitative) - Image of the Black in Western Art studies how people of African descent have been perceived and represented in art and culture
Experimental - A study on new mediums from the Getty Museum to developing and testing techniques for their analysis and assessing the short and long-term effects of cleaning treatments in conservation
Practice-based - Study on how hybrid practices can lead to the design of future textiles influences the creation of new materials

School of Visual Arts Master Thesis Catalog

Step 1

Motivation/problem statement

Determine the problem
Determine practical, scientific, theoretical or artistic gap is the research filling.

Step 2

Methods/procedure/approach. Determine the type of artistic research from the following categories:

Step 3

What did you actually do to get your results? (e.g. analyzed 3 novels, completed a series of 5 oil paintings, interviewed 17 students)

Step 4

What specific procedures based on the type of research.

Step 5

Results/findings/product: As a result of completing the above procedure, what did you learn/invent/create?

General Arts	Art+Culture --This site is a portal for information about the arts. Links to sites on design arts, film, literature, music, performing and visual arts. Intute-- Search engine for online research sites National Endowment for the Arts -- The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education and research. Smithsonian Institution-- For facts, visit the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum complex and research organization composed of 19 museums, 9 research centers, and the National Zoo. Teacher Tap
Dance	Dance Education Web -- from the School of Creative and Performing Arts in Ohio. This site provides resources and research.
Film/Theater	New York Film Academy Student Resources Performing Arts Online Zappa Research -- Academic dissertation and blog on artistic research
Literary	A Literary Index-- A Literary Index provides both an overview and a review of the more significant collections of Internet literary resources of interest to scholars, students, and lovers of literature. Dr. Wheeler’s Home Page Music McGill University-- A site that links to many music resources Literary Resources on the Web-- From Kent State, this site includes encyclopedias, literature criticism and primary sources. University of Miami Music Research Site -- This web site is designed to assist researchers in conducting music research. Numerous links are available to assist in doing library research, collecting data, analyzing the data, writing the research report, and disseminating the research.
Visual Arts	Annotated List of Web Sites Pertaining to the Visual Arts-- from Tennessee State, this site links to over 300 sites Basic vs. Applied Research in Graphic Design-- a brief explanation of two research purposes. J Paul Getty Podcasts-- this museum has resources for researchers, including podcasts Metropolitan Museum of Art-- The Museum's libraries contain books, periodicals, photographs, manuscripts, and other scholarly resources in printed and electronic formats. The Museum also maintains several specialized study centers with images, documentation, and actual objects on display or on reserve for examination by researchers. Worchester (MA) Art Museum-- links to art organizations, resources and research libraries. Yale University Art Gallery-- The mission of the Yale University Art Gallery is to encourage appreciation and understanding of art and its role in society through direct engagement with original works of art.

Glossary of Fine Art Terms
Glossary of Dance Terminology
A Glossary of Terms for Literary Analysis
Film Glossary Terms--Illustrated
Glossary of Architectural Terms
TheatreCraft Glossary of Technical Theatre Terms

Art History Sites on the Web
International Foundations for Art Research
University of Texas Fine Art Library—Information on art, music, dance and theater
BUBL LINK: Art Education/Research Resources
Digital Media and Research
General Poetry Resources

National Association of Independent Artists (professional journal)