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English 1: Reconfiguring Memory: Finding Images

Artstor

Camio

Google Image Search

Do you know about Google Advanced Image Search? Give it a try! It's a great way to harness the power of the regular Google Image Search toward delivering quality, trustworthy results. Some tips:

  • In the "image size" menu, select a larger option to help ensure image quality.
  • In the "site or domain" field, enter .edu and/or .org. This will limit your search to sites (from museums, universities, etc.) that are more likely to include complete and accurate information with image files.
  • Try filtering your search by "usage rights." In most cases, using images for scholarly work (papers, presentations) is protected by Fair Use, but incorporating images into the output of your artistic practice is a thornier issue. Knowing the licensing information for images you use is a smart way to work. 

Images from the SMFA Library Visual Resources Collection in Artstor

Untitled (from the "Typology" series), Laylah Ali, 2005

Lepidoptera, Leonora Carrington, 1968

Proyecto Mural, Carlos Cruz-Diez, 1954

Your Cities Will Burn, Marcel Dzama, 2007

Uterus ovis, Heide Hatry, 2008-2012

City 7 (version 2/5, detail), Mike Kelley, 2010

Contact a Librarian

Please feel free to get in touch with a librarian at absolutely any stage of your research process.

We encourage you to schedule a research consultation with Ashley Peterson (apeterson@smfa.edu, 617-369-3653)  for an in-depth discussion about your research goals. 

For quicker questions, please feel free to stop by the Library's front desk (located on the third floor of the B side of the Fenway building). You can also email or call the front desk at library@smfa.edu/617-369-3650.

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