Defines the scope of research concerning "inscriptions in painting" from a semiotic point of view. Shows that in cases from medieval pictograms to modern new concreteness inscriptions are used to subvert the pictorial content of art works. (RS)

Argues that Fernand Leger avoids the mimetic use of literary elements in order to subvert the conventions of the illustrated book and subordinates meaning to a graphic interplay where word and image can, on occasion, become interchangeable. States that Leger subverts the borderline between readable and nonreadable, lyric and painterly. (RS)

Notes that Jules Kirschenbaum, a modern American artist whose work integrates inscriptions and figurative painting, studied under the masters of abstract expressionism yet exhibited with protagonists of "magic realism." States that his later work took a wholly different turn--it became art about meaning and the "meaning of…

Contends that the concept of description educators present in their art criticism models differs from the concept of description in ordinary language; instead, it is a technical concept borrowed from the literature of aesthetics. Delineates differences between each concept, describes how the confusion arose, and discusses implications for art…

In this article, the author presents a model for an undergraduate course in Art Theory and Criticism that includes a practical component in which students demonstrate their understanding of various theories of art by creating interactive installations that provide opportunity for discourse. Students then invited friends to the exhibition to…

A focus on school reform within the field of elementary education has brought an arts-integrated approach to teaching and learning to the forefront. This is not a new approach, as integrating what many call "hands-on activities" in the classroom is quite common. The difference lies in the quality and depth of the approach to teaching and learning,…

This kit looks at 10 works of art from ancient to modern times and explores their myths, histories, artistic styles, and stories about art and artists. The kit includes goals and background information, 10 slides with slide presentation, art and writing activities, 5 laminated reproductions, and a bibliography. Activities are related to the 10…

Argues that Rene Magritte's experiments with words and images are preceded by other experiments with his surrealist friends in Brussels. States that the surrealists' failure to adequately represent women causes Magritte to treat both images and words as mere representations, subject to an equally radical splitting from the "real" thing…

States that the painted words in Jasper Johns' art act in two different capacities: concealed words partake in the artist's interrogation of visual perception; and visible painted words question classical representation. Argues that words are Johns' means of critiquing modernism. (RS)

What can postmodernism do for, or to, educational research? The article discusses its potential for resisting closure and simplification. Developing a "preposterous", anachronistic postmodern method that is caught up with surrealism and the baroque, the article plays with "trompel'oeil" paintings and outmoded popular entertainments such as magic…

Numerous incidents have been reported in recent years wherein a work of art is mistaken as trash. The question is, how have people reached the point in the civilized world where a purported work of art cannot be distinguished from a pile of rubbish or a grid of condensation pipes? The answer to that question lies in the basic assumption of nearly…

Since Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE) began to advocate the teaching of art based on art subjects and knowledge rather than creative self-expression, the elements and principles of design have taken a firm place in various art curricula, textbooks, and national and state Visual Arts Standards. This article intends to trace the history of…

In 1939, Texas artist Alexandre Hogue completed "The Crucified Land," a striking comparison of water erosion on a Denton, Texas, wheat farm to the martyrdom of Jesus of Nazareth. "The Crucified Land" was originally intended as the final canvas of Hogue's "Erosion" series, which the artist began in 1932 as a…

Discusses three recent texts dealing with images of African Americans in contemporary art and media, arguing that there is a lack of black critics who can truly fulfill the role of criticism and interpret culture to create popular appeal. Suggests that black critics must interpret art for whites and then re-interpret it for blacks. (BCY)

Analyzes and critiques the faith in the social powers of the arts which allows American intellectuals to maintain a loyalty to democracy in the abstract while deploring people's concrete cultural practices. Offers John Dewey's belief in "art as experience" as an alternative that can refigure and benefit American social thought. (SR)