Cave paintings of our prehistoric ancestors, elaborate ritual dances of preliterate tribesmen, long lines at the movies, earnest scribbles of the three-year-old next door--evidence of human preoccupation with art is everywhere, and it is overwhelming. But unlike other human universals--language, tool use, the family--art makes no material contribution to mankind's survival. What impels the artist to the lonely effort at self-expression? What moves the audience to resonate to the work of a master? What accounts for the child's inherent fascination with pictures and stories and songs? 
 These questions are among the deepest we can ask about human nature. Freud deemed some of them forever unanswerable, but modern psychology has made new inroads into these old mysteries. Invented Worlds provides a complete, authoritative account of this progress. Dealing with the three major art forms--painting, music, and literature--Ellen Winner shows how the artist fashions a symbolic world that transforms the experience of the observer. She probes the adult's ability to create and respond to works of art. In addition, she examines children's art for what it can reveal about the artistic impulse before adult convention becomes a shaping force. Finally, in order to reach a better understanding of the biological bases of artistry, Winner discusses the art of the mentally disturbed and the neurologically impaired patient. 
 The sum of these discussions is more than an up-to-date handbook to the field; it is nothing less than a new synthesis of our understanding of man's artistic nature. Written with admirable clarity, Invented Worlds is a book that can be used by professionals and students in psychology, education, and the arts, as well as anyone with reason to be curious about the processes that underlie the creation and enjoyment of art.

Invented Worlds: The Psychology of the Arts

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Ellen Winner

Psychology & Counseling

Harvard University Press

''Studio Thinking [is] a vision not only of learning in the arts but what could be learning most anywhere.'' -- From the Foreword by David N. Perkins, Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Senior Co-Director of Harvard Project Zero ''Hetland and her colleagues reveal dozens of practical measures that could be adopted by any arts program, inside or outside of the school.This is a bold new step in arts education.'' -- David R. Olson, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto ''Will be at the top of the list of essential texts in arts education. I know of no other work in art education with this combination of authenticity and insight.'' -- Lars Lindstram, Stockholm Institute of Education Many people believe that art education is important, but few can say exactly why. Here, at last, are the results of the first in-depth research on the habits of mind that are instilled by studying art-habits the authors argue have positive impacts on student learning across the curriculum. Studio Thinking provides art teachers with a research-based language for describing what they intend to teach and what students learn. This language will help advocates explain arts education to policymakers, help art teachers develop and refine their teaching practices, and help educators in other disciplines learn from existing practices in arts education.

Studio Thinking: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education

Arts & Photography

Lois Hetland

Shirley Veenema

Kimberly M. Sheridan

Study & Teaching

Teachers College Pr

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Books by Ellen Winner