Do You Have to Cite a Piece of Art Referenced in a Paper
by Jeff Hume-Pratuch
Recently, we've had a surprising number of inquiries about how to reference artwork in APA Fashion. The APA Publication Manual (6th ed.) has a department on audiovisual media (7.07, pp. 209–210), just it focuses mostly on audio, video, and TV. In that location are no guidelines for paintings, sculptures, or more complicated installations (east.g., a chair, a photo of a chair, and a definition of "chair"). So permit's apply the Frankenreference concept to model a few ways to handle art in your reference listing.
But the Facts, Ma'am
A expert reference contains enough information to atomic number 82 your reader to the source yous used, every bit concisely as possible. At a minimum, this should include the creative person'southward name, year(s) of fabrication, title of the piece of work, any other necessary or relevant data (such as the medium), and the location of the work. Hither'due south how a reference might look for Christina's Earth:
Wyeth, A. (1948). Christina's world [Painting]. New York, NY: Museum of
Mod Art.
But suppose you are an impoverished grad pupil who can't beget a plane ticket to New York to meet the painting in person. Fortunately, the museum has an splendid website where yous tin can view the painting. In that example, apply the website in the location element of your reference:
Wyeth, A. (1948). Christina'southward world [Painting]. Retrieved from
http://world wide web.moma.org/explore/collection/index
If a work exists in several formats, it's helpful to provide plenty information to identify which one you're talking about. For case, the original bronze of Rodin'due south The Thinker is in Paris:
Rodin, A. (1902). The thinker [Bronze and marble sculpture]. Paris,
France: Musée Rodin.
However, the artist also bandage dozens of bronze and plaster copies of his model for this work, and one of them ended up here in Washington:
Rodin, A. (1902). The thinker [Bronze sculpture]. Washington,
DC: National Gallery of Art.
Salvador Dali, in the Drawing Room, With a Pancake
Sometimes authors enquire where in the reference entry they should put descriptive information about the size, format, provenance, life bicycle, or limerick of the artwork; the fourth dimension, place, sponsorship, curation, and location of a special exhibition of the artwork; and so forth. The general answer is, yous don't—in APA Style, at least. If you are discussing one or two items for which this kind of information is necessary, it could be included in a footnote to the text; for a large number of works, a carve up appendix with an annotated bibliography or even a catalog raisonné might be in club.
Advanced Topics
During the 20th century, forms of art emerged that play with the very notion of "art." For example, the piece of work that won the 2001 Turner Prize consists of an empty room in which the lights go on and off every v s. However, we can still cite the artwork properly, even if there'southward no in that location there:
Creed, Chiliad. (2000). Work 227: The lights going on and off [Installation].
New York, NY: Museum of Modern Art.
Functioning Art
A genre that seems particularly rich in topics for psychological report is performance fine art. Perhaps you were fortunate plenty to be present when Nam June Paik and Charlotte Moorman performed their TV Bra for Living Sculpture, and you would like to draw on this feel for your thesis. How would a reader go to the source of this reference?
Play a trick on question! Brusk of a Vulcan mind meld, there's no way to make that feel attainable to the reader. Treat it equally a personal communication (in-text citation simply, giving artist and date of performance). Nonetheless, if yous researched the operation in a more permanent medium (videotape, DVD, etc.), use the reference for that format.
Do You lot Really Need a Reference?
Not every reference to an artwork needs a reference listing entry. A passing reference to a facial expression "reminiscent of Munch's The Scream" tin stand on its own, for instance, and there are certain cultural icons that demand no explanation. (One rule of thumb: If the artwork has inspired a successful advertizement campaign, information technology'south probably an icon.) Know your audience and use your best judgment.
Source: https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2010/04/theres-an-art-to-it.html
There'south an Art to Information technology
Recently, we've had a surprising number of inquiries about how to reference artwork in APA Style. The APA Publication Manual (sixth ed.) has a section on audiovisual media (vii.07, pp. 209–210), but information technology focuses generally on audio, video, and TV. There are no guidelines for paintings, sculptures, or more complicated installations (eastward.thou., a chair, a photo of a chair, and a definition of "chair"). And so let's employ the Frankenreference concept to model a few means to handle art in your reference list.
Merely the Facts, Ma'am
A good reference contains plenty information to pb your reader to the source y'all used, equally concisely as possible. At a minimum, this should include the artist's proper noun, year(s) of fabrication, title of the piece of work, whatsoever other necessary or relevant information (such every bit the medium), and the location of the work. Here's how a reference might await for Christina's World:
But suppose you lot are an impoverished grad educatee who can't afford a plane ticket to New York to see the painting in person. Fortunately, the museum has an excellent website where you lot tin view the painting. In that example, use the website in the location chemical element of your reference:
If a work exists in several formats, information technology'due south helpful to provide plenty information to identify which one you lot're talking about. For instance, the original statuary of Rodin'south The Thinker is in Paris:
However, the artist also cast dozens of bronze and plaster copies of his model for this work, and one of them ended up here in Washington:
Salvador Dali, in the Drawing Room, With a Pancake
Sometimes authors ask where in the reference entry they should put descriptive information about the size, format, provenance, life cycle, or composition of the artwork; the time, place, sponsorship, curation, and location of a special exhibition of the artwork; and so forth. The full general respond is, you don't—in APA Way, at least. If yous are discussing 1 or two items for which this kind of data is necessary, it could be included in a footnote to the text; for a large number of works, a split up appendix with an annotated bibliography or even a itemize raisonné might be in order.
Advanced Topics
During the 20th century, forms of fine art emerged that play with the very notion of "fine art." For example, the work that won the 2001 Turner Prize consists of an empty room in which the lights go on and off every 5 s. However, we can still cite the artwork properly, even if at that place'south no there there:
Operation Fine art
A genre that seems particularly rich in topics for psychological study is operation fine art. Perhaps you were fortunate enough to be nowadays when Nam June Paik and Charlotte Moorman performed their Idiot box Bra for Living Sculpture, and you lot would similar to draw on this experience for your thesis. How would a reader go to the source of this reference?
Trick question! Short of a Vulcan mind meld, there's no way to make that feel accessible to the reader. Care for it equally a personal communication (in-text citation merely, giving creative person and date of performance). Notwithstanding, if yous researched the performance in a more permanent medium (videotape, DVD, etc.), use the reference for that format.
Practice You Really Need a Reference?
Not every reference to an artwork needs a reference list entry. A passing reference to a facial expression "reminiscent of Munch's The Scream" can stand on its own, for case, and at that place are certain cultural icons that need no caption. (I rule of thumb: If the artwork has inspired a successful advertizing campaign, it's probably an icon.) Know your audition and use your best judgment.