Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 296
•
Trim: 9 x 11½
978-1-5381-3372-9 • Hardback • October 2020 • $65.00 • (£50.00)
978-1-5381-3373-6 • eBook • October 2020 • $61.50 • (£47.00)
Gene Wisniewski received his art education at Rutgers University, the New York Academy of Art, The National Academy of Design, The New School, and L’Ecole Albert Defois in Vihiers, France. He has exhibited in galleries nationwide, including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. He has twenty years’ experience teaching and lecturing on visual art. His short stories have appeared in Exquisite Corpse, the literary magazine of Louisiana State University, Satellite magazine, and other publications. The Art of Looking at Art is his first full-length book. He is currently working on screenplay adaptions based on two of his published short stories.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter One—Ten Reasons to Appreciate Art
Chapter Two—the First 95% of Art History—Prehistoric Art
Chapter Three—From Artisan to Artist—How Art Became About Self-Expression (It Wasn’t Always)—The Most Recent 5% of Art History
Chapter Four—“the Place of the Muses”—a Brief History of the Museum
Chapter Five—Art vs. Life—How Art and Life Influence One Another
Chapter Six— Art Is Where You Find It—Where Artists Find Inspiration
Chapter Seven—This Is Your Brain on Art—the Human Brain and the Creative Process
Chapter Eight—The 13 or So Traits of Creative People (According to Me)
Chapter Nine—Self-Expression for Sale—Art and the Marketplace
Chapter Ten—“We the People” As Patron of the Arts—Government’s Role in the Arts
Chapter Eleven—Listening to Art, Even When It Isn’t Speaking to You—Understanding “Difficult” Art
Chapter Twelve— What to Look for When You Look at Art—Art Appreciation
Appendix A: Finding Art to Look At
Appendix B: Prehistoric Timeline
Appendix C: Timeline of Art Movements
Selected Bibliography
Index
The Art of Looking at Art provides such a guide for those wishing to learn more about art, and also sheds new light on ideas and themes for the more experienced among us. We can all learn something new by revisiting that which we thought we already knew enough about already. Take a second look and check out The Art of Looking at Art by Gene Wisniewski.
— The Art Blog
Wisniewski covers prehistoric times to the present, providing a solid introduction to art movements and masterpieces through the ages. He also answers the big questions: Why does art exist? How did art begin? How should we look at art? Despite his tendency to jump from topic to topic, Wisniewski is a witty storyteller who pauses frequently to share a particularly juicy detail—Neanderthal surprises, animal artists, gruesome cabinets of curiosity, the wonders of rap music, the science of brain waves. Especially moving is Wisniewski’s spotlight on artists who struggled terribly in their lifetime and are now among the most revered. This is an enjoyable book, but cursory knowledge would be helpful to understand some of Wisniewski’s references. Even scholars will likely learn something new. Recommended.
— Choice Reviews
"The Art of Looking at Art" by Gene Wisniewski takes the reader on a journey that encompasses artwork through the ages. The instruction in this book is a valuable resource for understanding the world of art better. It feels like a tour through a gallery. 5 stars and highly recommended.
— Reader Views
In this welcome new publication, teacher and painter Gene Wisniewski distills his 20 years’ experience of teaching visual art into an entertaining and thought- provoking introduction to the world of art.
— Journal of Art in Society
The Art of Looking at Art is the secret sauce to seeing the world’s visual treasures with fresh eyes. Gene Wisniewski, accomplished teacher and lively storyteller, not only deconstructs art of every type imaginable, he offers the reader an insider’s view of how the art world operates. This book will drive you to see art, buy art—even make art.— Sally Koslow, author, Another Side of Paradise
Hand this book to anyone who says, ‘I don’t get art.’ When they read this, they will get art from the first scratch on a cave wall to the latest disturbance in the habitual look of things. This deeply researched, clearly argued, and delightfully written history of art is two impossible things: a primer and an encyclopedia. You can read it as an ode or an elegy, but whether a believer or a doubter, you will be informed, entertained, and inspired.— Andrei Codrescu, author of No Time Like Now: New Poems (Pitt Poetry Series, 2019)
As a student in Gene Wisniewski’s classes I felt like I had hit the jackpot and believed that teaching was his true calling; however, after reading this book, I started thinking that writing may be even more so. By delving deeply into the psyche of the artists, with an understanding only an artist can have, Gene brings art to life in ways that connect as well as instruct. His ability to explain complex artistic processes, coupled with his vivid and lyrical writing, make this book a must for readers of all artistic abilities and interests. Highly recommended!— Felice Kaufmann, PhD, Independent consultant in gifted child education, former assistant to E. Paul Torrance, creativity researcher