Types of Resources
In addition to the monograph, there are several special kinds of books on artists and their works, such as the exhibition catalog, the retrospective, and the catalogue. Each type will include biographical information about the artist.
Monographs–books dedicated to a single artist. Include the artist’s name and “biography” or “criticism” in your BULS search.
Exhibition Catalogs -- books that accompany museum and gallery exhibitions generally contain biographical and chronological artist information as well as images of works exhibited. Include the artist’s name and the word “exhibition” or “exhibitions” in your BULS search. Several major museums, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s MetPublications, have posted their exhibition catalogs online.
Examples of exhibition catalog/ues --
Retrospectives -- a kind of exhibition that traces the artist's career from the first works to those created later in life. Include the word "retrospective" in your BULS search.
Examples of "retrospectives" --
Catalogue Raisonnes --- complete studies of artists' work including object images and provenance, usually published near the end of their careers. Include artist’s last name and the word “raisonne” or “raisonnes” in your BULS search.
Find Books
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BU Libraries Search provides a single place to search for a wide variety of research material provided by the library. Resources covered by the search includes books and eBooks, journals, scores and sheet music, video and audio recordings, and other physical and electronic items held by the library. Coverage encompasses materials relating to the prehistoric and antique world through to the present.
Books About How Artists Work
Art Studio America: contemporary artist spaces by Location: Mugar Library Folio N8520 .A77 2013Contrasting intimate visits to artists' studios with explorations of the country's sweeping landscapes of light and form that have inspired artists since the Luminists and the Hudson River School, here is a privileged look at the dreams, ideas, and thoughts of more than one hundred American artists who are active today.
Sanctuary: Britain's artists and their studios by Location: Mugar Library Folio N8520 .S35 2012Although today numerous artists have abandoned the studio model in favor of new modes of working enabled by new technologies, the studio space, often containing the visible remains of artistic ingenuity, toil, and torment, continues to present a window into the creative soul and a summary of widely varying methods and approaches.
Studio Life: rituals, collections, tools, and observations on the artistic process by Location: Mugar Library N8520 .T75 2013Through conversations with a wide spectrum of painters, performance artists, sculptors, photographers, video artists, and others, Trigg set out to investigate contemporary artmaking practices.
Artists in Their Studios by Location: Mugar Library TR681.A7 K57 2007Over 100 photographs with letters and other primary source materials (notes, sketchbook pages, invitations, etc.) offer an intimate perspective on the work and studios of over 100 significant American artists from the late 19th century to the 1970s.
