The Creative Impulse: An Introduction to the Arts (6th Edition)
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
This edition, the sixth, maintains The Creative Impulse 's overall focus and intent that is, to present an overview of the arts in the Western tradition in the contexts of the philosophy, religion, aesthetic theory, economics, and politics surrounding them. The text remains an historical introduction to the humanities from which the reader will gain a basic familiarity with major styles and their implications as well as a sense of the historical development of individual arts disciplines. The major focus of the text is the arts, and one of the changes in this edition is an attempt to make that focus clearer, and the organization of each chapter more transparent, by dividing each chapter into two major divisions: 1) Contexts and Concepts; and 2) The Arts. Another emphasis fundamental to the book remains, and that is an emphasis, by example, on formal analysis of works of art to supplement discussion about them. Not every work illustrated herein is analyzed, but analysis occurs frequently enough that, with a little encouragement from the instructor, students can infer how to see and hear and put into words what makes a particular work of art tick, so to speak. Developing confidence in relating and responding to works of art verbally and viscerally is critical if students are to carry an interest in the arts beyond the confines of the classroom and the timeframe of the course, into the rest of their lives. That lifelong relationship with art, hopefully, is the purpose of humanities and introductory art courses. When encountering an artwork for the first time whether in a museum, a theatre, a concert hall, or on the street we usually do not have access to biographical or contextual materials. We have only the artwork and the ability to confront it, either with or without confidence. Thus, the analyses, which examine how artworks work in terms of line, form, color, melody, plot, and so on, teach a means by which artworks can be approached, responded to, and shared in an on-the-spot manner; the way works of art are encountered in real life. Also new to this edition are three features. The first comprises a chapter-opening exploration of "The Way Art Works." In these features, basic concepts are defined, illustrated, and related to the material of the text. The second feature occurs throughout the body of the text, and it comprises hyperlinks, or URLs, to connect with websites for additional examples. The third feature, likewise, involves the World Wide Web. Each chapter closes with a "Cybersources" section for further study of examples and materials concerning the periods discussed in the preceding chapter. Finally, it should be clear that a book such as this depends upon a multitude of sources other than the general knowledge of its author. In the interest of readability and in recognition of the generalized purpose of this text, copious footnoting has been avoided. I hope the method chosen for presentation and documentation of the works of other authors meets the needs of both responsibility and practicality. The Further Reading section at the end of the book comprises the works used in the preparation of this text. I am indebted to these authors and to scores of colleagues around the country who have assisted in one way or another in the preparation of this book over the six editions of its existence. align="right"> Dennis J. Sporre
The publisher, Prentice-Hall Humanities/Social Science
Sporre presents an overview of the visual arts, architecture, literature, music, theatre, dance, and film of the Western tradition in the context of the philosophy, religion, aesthetic theory, economics, science, and politics that surrounded them. The text serves as an historical introduction to the humanities from which the reader will gain a familiarity with major styles, an understanding of the ideological, chronological, and technical implications of those styles, and a feeling for the historical development of individual arts disciplines.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
The Creative Impulse: An Introduction to the Arts (6th Edition)
The Creative Impulse: An Introduction to the Arts (6th Edition),Dennis J. Sporre,Prentice Hall,0130447404,Art & Art Instruction,General,History - General,Social Science,Sociology,Art / General
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