College of DuPage Library

Reference Books

Confused about your topic, or not sure where to begin? Start here! Reference books are written to give you a good general overview of a topic. Print reference works are for in-library use only; ebooks can be viewed on and off campus if you have a current COD library card. The reference section is on the first floor of the library, behind the staircase. You can use the catalog or Reference Universe to find both print and electronic reference books.

• … isms: Understanding Art - N6447.5 .L58 2004
  • This neat little resource defines art movements from the Renaissance forward. Each chapter is color coded by movement, and it uses icons to tell you similar and different movements, glossary terms, and more. Features a table of contents; color photos; glossary; and timeline.
  • See Chapter 50: “Abstract Expressionism” pg 122-5
• 30,000 Years of Art - N5300 .A14 2015
  • This little book is a huge timeline of art, from prehistory to contemporary! Each page contains a color photo of an artwork, the bibliographic information, and a short article. Each entry is color coded on the bottom edge of the page depending on the continent the work originated from. There is a smaller timeline of just text at the end, before the index.
  • See pgs 536, 539, 542-3, 546
• The Encyclopedia of Sculpture - NB198 .E53 2004
  • This encyclopedia contains longer articles on sculptors, famous works, works by period, style, and country/continent, and materials and techniques. There is a table of contents in the first volume by both alphabet and theme, with the index in the last volume. Also featured are black and white photos and a bibliography after each entry.
  • See “Abstract Expressionism” Volume 1, pgs 3-5
• Grove Dictionary of Art - N31 .D5 1996
  • This is an older resource, but one of the most comprehensive art resources there is. The articles and biographies are a little longer, and features black and white photos and illustrations, maps, and an index. Also part of Oxford Art Online!
  • See “Abstract Expressionism” Volume 1, pgs 83-8
• The Oxford Companion to to Western Art - N33 .O923 2001
  • Oxford is one of the premier publishers for art and architecture. This book offers concise articles on Western art movements, artists, and art history. Also available in e-book.
  • See “Abstract Expressionism” pg 2-3

Circulating Books

These are books you can check out! They can get more specific than reference books and are located on the second floor of the library. You can search the catalog before going up or click the box below to see the call numbers for art books so you can browse the shelves. If you find a book while searching that looks awesome but that we don't own, you can submit an inter-library loan request through I-Share and another library will send you the book for free! You will need a COD library card to check books out.

• Action/Abstraction: Pollock, de Kooning, and American Art, 1940-1976 - N6512.5.A25 A33 2008
  • An exhibition catalog of an Abstract Expressionist show held at the Jewish Museum, organized by the timeline, then color plates, then essays. Features a table of contents; black and white and color photos; a timeline; bibliography; and index.
• Art in America, 1945-1970: Writings from the Age of Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and Minimalism - N6512 .A6889 2014
  • This book compiles documents written by artists about their art and their respective movements. Each chapter is a collection of writings by a different artist, and a short introduction about their life and work precedes each one. Features a table of contents; black and white and color photos; a bibliography; and index.
• Art in the Modern Era: A Guide to Styles, Schools & Movements 1860 to the Present - N6490 .D415 2002
  • This book is a chronological look of each art movement from Impressionism to the early 2000s. Each chapter is short and concise, giving you a brief overview of the period. There's a cool fold-out timeline at beginning! Features a table of contents; black and white and color photos; a dictionary of art styles; and index.
• Modern Art: Impressionism to Post-Modernism - N6447 .M64 1999
  • Chronologically presents art movements from Impressionism to Post-Modernism. Features a table of contents; black and white and color photos; a chronology; bibliography; and index.
• Twentieth-Century American Art - N6512 .D58 2002
  • An Oxford publication that talks about the many movements in American art from 1900 on in chronological order. Features a table of contents; black and white and color photos; chronology; bibliography; and index.

Databases and Websites

All these are web resources that the COD library has subscribed to or that have been gathered from the internet that are helpful for this topic!

Databases - Best Bets

Below are library databases where you can access journal articles and other content. Most of these may be accessed from off-campus, but you must have a COD library card to do so.

Some suggested keywords and subject terms to use when searching for articles on this subject are:
- “Abstract expressionism”
- “Pollock, Jackson”

• Academic OneFile
  • Contains nearly 13,000 indexed journals, newspapers, and magazines, most peer reviewed and many full-text. The research is very current, not much historical content, but there are a wide range of topics covered. There's a really cool topic finder on the search results page, which gives you keywords related to your search! You have the option to save, download, or email the text or MP3 of the article, and you can make a free account to highlight and make notes on the article within the database.
• Academic Search Complete
  • Contains over 9000 journals, about 7000 of which are full-text. Some journals go back to 1880’s so you can get historical and recent publications on any given topic. There are plenty of options to narrow your search and to save and cite your article.
• Art & Architecture Complete
  • Similar to Academic Search Complete except it contains only art-specific publications! If you're looking for the subject browsing function, it's titled Thesaurus.
• Artstor
  • Find images of artworks that can be used in papers and presentations! You can search or browse by geography, media, or museum/gallery collections. Make a free account to save, organize, cite, or export images. Take a look through their subject guides to get ideas for your next project! See the Artstor Quick Start Guide for tips on using this resource.
• Oxford Art Online
  • An art major's best friend. This database includes the full text of Grove Art Online, the Oxford Companion to Western Art, the Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, and The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. Your one-stop shop for scholarly articles, biographies, and definitions of all things art-related.

Websites

These resources were compiled from the internet. No library card required!

• Denver Art Museum - Women of Abstract Expressionism
  • A portal to an upcoming exhibition of female Abstract Expressionist artists by the Denver Art Museum with a few pictures of works and an article.
• Google Art Project
  • The Google Art Project is the result of a partnership with museums and galleries to put the art online for free! You can search and browse by museum, collection, artist, or artwork. If you have a Google account, you can create your own "gallery" so you can save and categorize your favorite artwork.
• Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History - Abstract Expressionism
  • Links to the "keyword" feature of the Timeline, which lists all the essays, artworks, and timeline with the "Abstract Expressionism" tag. Curated by the Met.
• Museum of Modern Art - Abstract Expressionism
  • A learning portal for Abstract Expressionism created by the Museum of Modern Art. There are links to words in the glossary and to artists for easy browsing.