This paper examine's painters attempts to find, in their chosen medium, a meaningful representation of nature. It proposes the idea that despite the best efforts of some of western art's most gifted artists, this has remained an elusive goal so far and this is likely to remain the case in the future. The paper concludes with an examination of Postmodern theoretical discourse and the effects it has had on painters who may want to attempt to make a meaningful statement about nature with their art. It goes on to make a case that despite the difficulty of the task, there are some very sound reasons why any painter wishing to attempt it, should do so. Some associated issues are raised in the course of the investigation: 1/. An investigation of perception of nature. 2/. The role of language in shaping our perceptions of nature. 3/. The inability of language itself to capture a satisfactory recreation of the experience of nature. 4/. An examination of Paul Cezanne's attempts to record nature using his empirical optical method. 5/. An examination of Barnett Newmans's attempts to recreate the experience of nature through the use of symbols. 6/. The work of the phenomenologists with regard to nature and painting. 7/. The problem of aesthetics. 8/. The apparent reluctance of many critics and theoreticians to take the importance of nature as a vital and indispensable starting point for some artists / Master of Arts (Hons)

The subject of this study is the phenomenon of plant and animal illustration as an aspect of naturalism in Italian manuscript art from the mid thirteenth century to the early fifteenth century. 'Naturalism' in the context of this study is defined as the accurate representation of natural objects within the given limitations of period and style. In addition, the term is also applied to the phenomenon of the more frequent occurrence of natural objects like plants and animals in manuscript art. Chief among the factors that gave rise to this type of illustration were the demands of medieval science, in terms of practical works like herbals and hunting treatises. Secondly, the secular interests of the courts, in particular Frederick II's court in the thirteenth century, and the courts of the North Italian despots in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries encouraged the pastimes that generated a need for naturalistic illustration. Although Franciscanism has traditionally been credited with stimulating naturalism in Italian art, there is no solid evidence to suggest that the limited aspect of naturalism discussed here was directly influenced by the movement. The accurate portrayal of both plants and animals can be documented in a number of manuscripts dating from the thirteenth, fourteenth, and early fifteenth centuries. The concentration on accurate portrayal of isolated natural objects resulted in a more sophisticated and at the same time more naturalistic recording of facts about both plants and animals. Eventually, this close observation of nature contributed to certain rudimentary developments toward the mastery of landscape and pictorial space. These developments coincided with, or perhaps even encouraged, the acceptance of the International Gothic Style in Italy. This style incorporated some of the aspects of naturalism discussed in this study, and introduced them into a part of the mainstream of Italian art in the fifteenth century. / Arts, Faculty of / Art History, Visual Art and Theory, Department of / Graduate

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Delaware, 2009. / Principal faculty advisor: Nina Athanassoglou-Kallmyer, Dept. of Art History. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Delaware, 2008. / Principal faculty advisor: Wendy Bellion, Dept. of Art History. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--Freiburg i.B. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 576-606).

This study traces the adaptation of the traditional gathering practices of Anglo/Celtic women to the landscape of Colonial Australia, thus developing a context for contemporary land-based art practices. Traditional gathering practices became one of the important forces that influenced and shaped the work of many women artists in post colonial Australia. Interacting with the landscape on a personal level helped contextualize women's gathering role into a contemporary theme, which linked past knowledge to present day voices. The author's art work is an interpretation of this traditional gathering practice. By relating herbal knowledge to present day concerns, she is able to extend the knowledge of past generations of women gatherers into present day images. The art work is also a diary of experiments, that are concerned with preserving the dye making recipes that have been handed down for generations. These botanical experiments have enabled the author to re-present herbal knowledge that took hundreds of years to glean, and to extend the use of the dyes obtained to create the art works. / Master of Arts (Hons) (Creative Arts)

Thesis (M.A.)(Hons)--University of Western Sydney, Nepean, 1996. / Bibliography: leaves 60-61.

Thesis (M.A. (Hons.)) -- University of Western Sydney, 2003. / "A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Honours) Creative Arts, December 2003" Includes bibliography.