Are there a certain number of or types of common qualities that cause
a group of works by a certain artist to be considered a "series"?

Hi trudianne,

A series doesn't necessarily consist of a specific number of
paintings. A series is defined as a number of works of art that are
related in some way. Usually an artist will develop an idea by doing
it over and over again. A series is often a group of works that
reflect a particular idea or image that an artist has worked on.

The following is an excerpt which will better explain how a series is determined.

"Artist's often work in series. They pick a subject and elaborate on
it. Maybe the elaboration is a narrative thread, maybe not. Often they
work by reusing and working on an image over and over with slight
changes, maybe varying the point of view, or changing colors. Or maybe
instead the idea is to find images or objects that fit a theme, or
have a similar structure, or are part of a larger meaning.

Sometimes a series includes working with a given size; using painting
as an example, say, every painting has either the same dimensions or
the same proportions. Sometimes a series is the working out of how to
use a color, or certain relationships between colors. Sometimes just
the size of a brush or some other paricular material pushes the
series..."

Laura Shefler's Serial Imagery
http://interactiveu.berkeley.edu:8000/CA/2002/03/26


Search criteria:
what defines "series" for an artist
"a series is" artist painter
"a series is" art painting


I hope the information provided is helpful. If you have any questions
regarding my answer please don?t hesitate to ask before rating it.

Best regards,
Rainbow

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Greetings, trudianne!

As someone who has always loved and appreciated art, and who only
started taking art training later in life, I took a special interest
in your Question.

It may only take one single characteristic to define a set of works as
a series. For an artist, a "series of works" can be classified as such
if the pieces have:

- a common theme
"Smirnov, whose exhibited work will be a combination of photography
and graphic design, said that students will exhibit series of works
that are related in some way, with a common theme defined at the
beginning of the semester."
http://www.ramapo.edu/news/pressreleases/2004/04_27_2004.html

- a common subject, item or shape in them 
"Reverse Portraits (1995-7) consists of around 50 large colour
photographs of individuals with their backs to the camera. Hypnosis
(1997-2000) consists of portraits of people she has invited to her
studio to be hypnotised."
http://www.uiah.fi/page_exhibition.asp?path=1,1457,2622,6526,6531,9047
"Each painting is defined by a different five-mile increment of the valley."
http://www.newpaltz.edu/artsnews/release.cfm?id=111
"The series of drawings is understood by the serial form of the
alphabet - each letter is separate from each other letter; each is
defined by the letter that precedes and follows it, but the series is
complete only when all 26 drawings are present."
http://www.artword.net/website/Gallery/Exhibitions/gallery_caruso.htm
'"The group adhered to strict design principles they called
neoplasticism: (1) only red, yellow, blue, white, gray and black were
used; and all creations (2) had to be abstract; (3) have smooth, shiny
surfaces; and (4) be composed only of right angles."
http://www.improveitnow.com/supplier/frngallery/Modern/destijl.htm

- a common range of colors
"I thought in terms of one work and not 60 works. And to hold it
together I wanted to use the same colors in the same way..."
http://www.cnn.com/2000/STYLE/arts/06/09/lawrence.obit

- a common feel or "sense"
"The series developed as a body of photographs that had the same feel
to them rather than a common subject, although the museums and
storefronts occur throughout the book"
http://eb.journ.latech.edu/archives/winter02/011603/output/n%20-%20exhibits.htm

- possibly just a common medium (such as collage or oil paint)
"Collected Memories 1, 2 & 3 (hard and soft ground dry point and
mezzotint on Fabriano) proclaim 'rehabilitation', 'retribution' and
'reconciliation', while Vespa Crabro and Stemmata (same medium) are
'resignation' and 'reparation', respectively."
http://www.artthrob.co.za/00may/reviews.html

- even, possibly, identical sizes
"... seven watercolors depicting the floor plans of famous religious
buildings, all drawn on sheets of identical size but each stamped with
the indication of a different scale, such as 1:120 for the Church of
the Nativity, 1:66 for Ronchamp, 1:260 for Chartres."
http://articles.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1248/is_n11_v86/ai_21257954


Perhaps the most important characteristic is if the artist him- or
herself considers the set of their works to be a series, based on
their own criteria (for instance, "everything I painted during my
period of deep depression" or "everything that I sculpted while I was
grieving for the loss of my spouse").


Here are some good examples of "series of works":

Andy Warhol's portraits of Mao Tse-Tung
http://images.google.com/images?q=%22Andy+Warhol%22+Mao

Bob Rankin's Capri Blue Grotto Series
http://www.clayj.com/html/BRCapriBlueGrotto.htm

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's One Hundred Aspects of the Moon
http://images.google.com/images?q=Yoshitoshi+%22Aspects+of+the+Moon%22&filter=0

Theo Van Doesburg's Cows
http://images.google.com/images?q=%22Van+Doesburg%22+cow+OR+cows&filter=0

Monet's depictions of the Rouen Cathedral in different weathers and times of day
http://images.google.com/images?q=Monet+Rouen+Cathedral



Search Strategy

"common theme" art OR artist "series of works" 
://www.google.com/search?q=%22common+theme%22+art+OR+artist+%22series+of+works%22+

"common subject" art OR artist "series of works"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22common+subject%22+art+OR+artist+%22series+of+works%22+

"same colors" OR "similar colors" art OR artist "series of works" 
://www.google.com/search?q=%22same+colors%22+OR+%22similar+colors%22+art+OR+artist+%22series+of+works%22+

"same medium"   art OR artist "series of works"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22same+medium%22+art+OR+artist+%22series+of+works%22+

"identical size" OR "identical sizes" art OR artist "series of works" 
://www.google.com/search?q=%22identical+size%22+OR+%22identical+sizes%22+art+OR+artist+%22series+of+works%22+

"series of works"
http://images.google.com/images?q=%22series+of+works%22&filter=0


I hope that you find this information helpful!

Regards,

aceresearcher