Design Lab II: Assignment Resources

Brainstorming and Free Writing

Spend about 5 minutes thinking about your work, and write a list of :

• Words that describe your work in terms of medium, materials, concept, process, other descriptive terms
• Names of artists and other folks (musicians, writers, thinkers) you admire and/or have inspired your work

Art Information Resources

Good Websites

• Artsy: A fantastic resource for information about contemporary art.
• Hyperallergic: One of the best news sites about contemporary art. In addition to news, it includes artist profiles, interviews, exhibition reviews, and opinon pieces. 

Library Books

• Tufts Classic Catalog 

Use the Tufts Classic Catalog to search the print and ebook collections of the Tufts University Libraries. 

Tips

• Make sure you switch the search type from "Title" (the default) to "Keyword." This will ensure that you find books where your artist is featured, though isn't necessarily the sole subject. 

Library Databases

• Jumbo Search

A portal for searching almost everything available through the Tufts Libraries: scholarly journal articles, print books, ebooks, news articles, videos, sound recordings, and more. Think of it as google for Library resources. 

Tips

• When searching an artist's name, use quotation marks ("Carmen Herrera"). This will ensure more relevant results. An exception: Names westernized from Asian languages. For example, Chong-hyun Ha should be searched as both "Chong-hyun Ha" and "Ha Chong-hyun." 
• To find exhibition reviews about your artist, search their name and add the word "review"
• To find video recordings and streaming media about your artist, search their name and then limit content type to "streaming video" and "video recording."

For this assignment, you are asked to print high-resolution (300 dpi) images. Here are some ways to ensure that your images are high-quality:

Scanning Images 

The SMFA Library's overhead scanner is capable of capturing high resolution images. Since the default print resolution is 200 dpi, you'll need to change the scan settings to "high quality" (300 dpi) or "very high quality" (400 dpi). Ask for assistance if you need it!

Photographing Images

Alternatively, you can use a DSLR camera to take pictures from books or of art objects. Make sure you're using the appropriate megapixel setting (see chart below).

Google Advanced Image Search

Google's Advanced Image Search lets you limit the size of your search results by megapixel or file size. Depending on how large your printed image will be, you'll want to make sure the size is large enough to ensure good quality when printing at 300 dpi. Consult this handy chart:

Via Easy Basic Photography

Resources for writing your Curatorial Statements:

• Curatorial Statement Guidelines from the RISD Writing Center
• How to Write About Contemporary Art, book on reserve at the SMFA Library
• Make an appointment at the SMFA Writing Studio