Customer Reviews:
2005 Writers Notes Book Award Notable.......2005-04-20
Herskovic overviews American ab-stract expressionism with this hefty volume of plates. Beyond the names you'll immediately recognize (Pollack, DeKooning, Gorky, etc.) this alphabetically arranged set takes a fair and complete look, including commentary from the artists that helps to illuminate an often moody and pensive style. We like Kline's ideas on size and space and also when DeKooning says, "spiritually I am wherever my spirit allows me to be." American Abstract should be a fixture in libraries and the homes of the lovers of the form.
American Abstract Expressionism of the 1950s/.......2003-12-23
American Abstract Expressionism of the 1950s:
An Illustrated Survey.
OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC TITLE ~CHOICE, 2003
"This excellent publication builds on the earlier publication. It has broadened the scope to include artists from throughout the US, rectified...omission of African American artists...and concentrated on 88 artists...Excellent layout and superb photographs. Highly recommended." ~CHOICE August, 2003.
"Researchers will seek out this well designed selection.
Recommended for American art museum, academic, art school and large public libraries." ~Library Journal August 2003.
Ed. by Marika Herskovic, ISBN: 0967799414 New York School Press, 2003. Hardcover, 9 x 12 inches. 372 pages, index. 176 full-page color illustrations.
Illuminating View Through a Very Special Window.......2003-09-15
The window is the eye of a devoted scholar who rips through the red-tape and pitfalls of dealing with artist's estates, galleries and the art world in general! It takes guts and grit to create a second book of the underknown Abstract Expressionists. This volume centers on the Abstract Expressionists of the 1950's, throughout the USA. It adds 80+ artists to the first tour d'force titled, New York School Abstract Expressionists: Artists Choice by Artists. Fortunately, many of the superb African American painters are represented. Ms. Herskovic mentions in her introduction that there were NO painters of African descent in the 9th Street show or any of the artist's annuals. This shocking revelation shows just how NEW integration really is. Norman Lewis, Hale Woodruff, Alma Thomas, Charles Alston, and Edward Clark are a fine quintet whose work shines through the pages of this fantastically researched volume of exceptional quality. As far as I am concerned, they are American Abstract Expressionists who just happen to be of color. Underknown Abstract Expressionist artists in the 1950's had a tough time getting known. After all, there were the meteors with names like Pollock, Rothko, Still, and de Kooning, to easily overshadow you. Not necessarily in quality, but in fame. Painters of African descent naturally had a very difficult time. America might have been avant-garde about this new art but was backward regarding equality of its people.
The West Coast is also represented by some fine painters. Elmer Bischoff, Budd Dixon, Hans Burkhardt, Richard Diebenkorn, Ernest Briggs, Hassel Smith, Richards Ruben, John Saccaro, and Robert McChesney are just a few from the West Coast!
Curators take note: This, the 2nd volume concerning the Abstract Expressionists in America, is a must have. Both volumes have to be included in your museum's library. These volumes are a researcher's dream! Plus, what great exhibitions are possible!
The size and quality of the reproductions are excellent. The book has the same 12 1/2 x 9 1/2" format as the first volume. This time, the dust jacket is gold, in nice contrast to the first volume's silver cover. There are 88 artists represented, and each has an artist's statement which is so important. The statements back-up their precious works. Listed opposite the artist's two large examples, are biographies, where the artist studied or taught, Solo Exhibitions as well as Group shows. A nice touch are the quasi-tributes to two important Fathers of Modern Art and Abstract Expressionism; There are writings by Kandinsky which are very "today", and there is an homage to Arshile Gorky, possibly the most revered American artist before Pollock(according to painters of the NY School).
This scientifically researched 372 page volume will surely be the barometer that all future studies will use.
Book Description
This landmark exhibition catalog surveys the entire career of one of the last great painters of high modernism, Franz Kline. It features over 70 major works, including paintings, drawings, sketches, and documentary material. The works included have been selected from collections from around the world with the intent of showing all of Kline's achievements, from the early figurative oil paintings of the late 1930s and 1940s to his breakthroughs in Abstract Expressionism seen in a selection of his large-scale black-and-white works. This volume traces Kline's art from its beginnings to his last painting in 1961, just a few months before the artist's death.
Kline, along with Pollock and Motherwell, was at the center of Abstract Expressionism and "action painting" in the America. This volume demonstrates in the monumental canvases, as well as in his many small-scale sketches made on paper, newspaper, and even telephone book pages, how Kline embraces gesture, experience, and emotion with direct and raw energy.
Customer Reviews:
The quintessential Ab Ex painter.......2007-04-06
A thoroughly documented catalogue with beautiful reproductions that manage to give a fair idea of the power of Kline's paintings. The size effect is lacking of course, but you do get to see a lot of nuances in the different types of blacks; you even get to distinguish the brushstrokes (rare through mere reproductions). A book worth the investment.
excellent book.......2005-10-17
Franz Kline is a painting master and this book is a definitive and complete representation. Like many abstract painters, Kline's process and spirit is as fascinating as his final works. This book shows many wonderful aspects to Kline's creative approach and (as expected) many images of his fine work. The book is thorough and inspring. I highly recommend it.
Average customer rating:
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New Britain Museum of American Art: Highlights of the Collection (Prestel Art)
Laurene Buckley
Manufacturer: Prestel Publishing
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ASIN: 3791320874 |
Average customer rating:
- A real Gem
- True Colors
- Five stars aren't enough.........
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Hans Hofmann: Revised and Expanded
Sam Hunter
Manufacturer: Rizzoli International Publications
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Richard Diebenkorn
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Willem De Kooning: Paintings 1960-1980
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Clyfford Still
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Hans Hofmann
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The Paintings of Joan Mitchell (Whitney Museum of American Art)
ASIN: 0847823806
Release Date: 2006-02-14 |
Book Description
Nature's purpose in relation to the visual arts is to provide stimulus-not imitation....From its ceaseless urge to create springs all Life-all movement and rhythm-time and light, color and mood-in short, all reality in Form and Thought." -Hans Hofmann
This book is the only comprehensive treatment of one of Abstract Expressionism's most important forefathers: Hans Hofmann. Hans Hofmann attends to every stage of his prolific career. Nearly 300 gorgeous color plates reveal this modern master's extraordinary sense of color: beautifully vibrant greens, rich blues and brilliant reds organized in strikingly powerful patterns. Sam Hunter, Professor Emeritus at Princeton University, writes a substantive essay on every aspect of Hofmann's distinguished body of work. Five important essays by the artist himself are included, revealing his philosophy of art which was so influential to the generations that followed him. Frank Stella, an important painter who deeply admired his work, also contributes an essay.
Customer Reviews:
A real Gem.......2007-01-17
I knew this would be a great book when I ordered it but when I received it I was overwhelmed by its quality, a slip-in hard cover and beautifully bound hard cover book inside.
It containes a large number of high quality colour plates (possibly all his work), and an excellent description of Hans Hofmann's thought processes in the introduction by Sam Hunter and as a bonus, 5 essays written by Hans Hofmann. A real asset for any artist who has an interest in the development and progression of abstract painting from the 1920's to 60's.
True Colors.......2004-11-07
This is the finest Hofmann book I have seen.
The combination of hue clarity, nuance, and sharp focus of the plates acurately recreates the space of the paintings and really lets them sing.
The brush and knifework, even the weave of the canvases are all crystal clear in the reproductions.
This solidly constructed book is a work of art in itself.
Five stars aren't enough................2002-10-03
This book deserves 7 stars. The plates are superlative, and the coloration is excellent. Coloration is a problem that plagues most books about Hofmann (among others). His use of reds and magentas can be difficult to reproduce with proper balance. Frequently, the results are that the plates appear somewhat anemic or the reds take on an exaggerated neon character that is hard on the eyes. Here, then, is a feast for the Hofmann enthusiast with nearly 300 pictures, practically all of them in exquisite color. This is an experience second only to actually viewing a Hofmann exhibit first hand. In my opinion, the plates alone make this book a worthy acquisition. But there's more.
Other particulars making this book a great addition to any bookshelf dedicated to Modern Art are five essays by Hofmann on art: "Plastic Creation", "The Search for the Real in Visual Arts", "The Resurrection of the Plastic Arts", "The Color Problem in Pure Painting" and "Sculpture". This is not to mention an excellent Introduction by Sam Hunter and wonderful essays by Tina Dickey and Frank Stella. Of course, there are the requisite features of a monograph: a brief (perhaps a little too brief, but who can complain at this point) chronology of Hofmann's life, and a selected list of exhibitions. Add to all of the above the attractive binding, a sturdy and handsome slipcase (which is what is pictured above), and what you have is a unique and appealing presentation of Hans Hofmann, his life, his work, his thoughts and his place in Twentieth Century Art.
This book is enthusiastically recommended.
Amazon.com
When Abstract Expressionism burst on the American scene in the 1940s, it elbowed another kind of American expressionism off the stage. Vivid evocations of the poor and disenfranchised in paintings by Jack Levine, Bernece Berkman and many others were now seen as stodgy and unsophisticated. In American Expressionism: Art and Social Change 1920-1950, cultural historian Bram Dijkstra argues that a generation of important left-wing artists, many of them Jewish, were the victims of intellectual, political and corporate interests bent on promoting a brighter, shinier United States. Unfortunately, Dijkstra undercuts his thesis with a haranguing tone, unconvincing analyses of individual works, and a dated view of abstraction as inherently "anti-humanist." His sweeping denunciation of "Nordic" (i.e., white, Protestant) artists leads him to view even an heroically scaled painting of a black soldier by John Steuart Curry—a "Nordic" artist collected by the NAACP—as a racist cartoon. At the heart of this contentious volume are 233 illustrations by dozens of little-known artists united by a passion for social justice. These works can be seen in a traveling exhibition at the Columbus (Ohio) Museum of Art from May 16 to August 24, 2003.—Cathy Curtis
Book Description
During the 1920s and '30s and until the end of World War II, a distinctly American form of Expressionism evolved. Most of the artists in this movement, children of immigrants from eastern and southern Europe, African Americans, and other outsiders to American mainstream culture, grew up in the urban ghettoes of the East Coast or Chicago. Their art was sympathetic to the dispossessed and reflected a deep concern with the lives of working people. Providing a fascinating look at this art--and at the beginning of a new movement, Abstract Impressionism which followed it--cultural historian Bram Dijkstra offers new insights into the roots of painting in America today.
Dijkstra examines the new emphasis these socially conscious artists brought to the pursuit of the American ideals of equality, dignity, and justice for all. Provocatively he suggests that Abstract Expressionism came to be used as part of a backlash, deliberately fostered by conservative political and corporate interests, against the socially conscious Expressionist paintings and the WPA projects supported by the Roosevelt administration. Profusely illustrated throughout with works of art seldom seen today, the book coincides with an important traveling exhibition of the art of this period.
Customer Reviews:
Just excellent.......2007-01-30
An excellent compilation of a mid-century American art style. Despite the promised controversy, Dijkstra's commentaries are brilliant and quite convincing. This is certainly not a pretty or unemotional art. But what a rewarding experience.
A masterpiece!!.......2003-08-16
AMERICAN EXPRESSIONISM is a beautiful book and one could have no better guide that cultural historian Bram Dijkstra. He is passionate, articulate, intelligent and knowledgeable about his subject. I am richer and have a deeper appreciation for the world of expressionism for having experienced this fine book.
Bravo.
Book Description
Howard Hodgkin (b. 1932) is among the most important artists working in Britain today. Nominally abstract, his paintings are, in his words, “representational pictures of emotional situations.” Sumptuously illustrated, this book presents a selection of Hodgkin’s paintings from the last fifteen years and provides a critical coda to the most recent retrospective publications on this artist’s work. Essays by Richard Morphet and Anthony Lane bring together personal responses to Hodgkin’s work of the last fifteen years (with special reference to works in the exhibition at Yale and Cambridge); accounts of the development of his art in the preceding decades; observations on the artist’s relationship between his personal circumstances and his art; and discussion of some of the links between Hodgkin’s vision and the work of selected other artists in England, continental Europe, and the United States.
Book Description
Pollock's large, bold canvases revolutionized the world of art; more than100 are reproduced here in full color to capture the brilliance of his palette, and six gatefolds show his vast horizontal works without distortion.
270 illustrations, 120 in full color, 6 gatefolds, 11 3/4 x 10"
Customer Reviews:
"Jack The Dripper" Enchants and Excites the Art World.......2007-01-10
This beautiful book with an anthology of Pollock's work; along with the details of his life, was very engrossing. I was unfamiliar with his work; although I do collect some artwork. When I saw and read the book from the coffee table of a friend's home over the holidays; I couldn't wait to order from Amazon.com for my copy. A recent find of Pollock's work was shown on David Letterman. It sold for millions after being locked away in a closet for many years. Beautiful book for a fantastic artist.
strong text, inconsistent reproduction quality.......2003-08-08
Before Varnedoe and Karmel's Pollock monograph, which accompanied the MOMA / Tate retrospective a few yeas ago, this was the best available text-and-plates book about Pollock. In terms of its text, this book is still relevant and insightful. Like Elizabeth Frank, Landau does a lot of truly eye-opening comparison work throughout her book. She'll reprint a work by Picasso, say, or a Native American artifact, or a Pollock sketch, and then analyze the influence it exerted on one of Pollock's key canvases.
And unlike the Varnedoe/Karmel book, this volume reprints these several kinds of works in close proximity, often on the same or a facing page, a useful feature. Landau's remarks about Pollock's sources, outcomes, growth and directions are always at least provocative and often really instructive, particularly in her coverage of the late black paintings. Indeed, Landau's analysis is regularly listed and praised in other authors' bibliographies.
The drawbacks of the book are its numerous poor reproductions, and plates after all make the primary reason for buying an artist monograph. Many of the plates are excellent and crisp--"Lucifer," "Pasiphae," "Autumn Rhythm," the colorful, playful works following Pollock's marriage. But too many of the plates and fold-outs are muddy, and Pollock's use of silver or aluminum paint is simply beyond this book's ability--as with the gaudy and over-exposed looking gatefold that opens the book. "Blue Poles" and "Stenographic Figure" are among the book's other poor reprints. Until I saw the Varnedoe/Karmel reprint of "One: Number 31, 1950," and then again in "person" at the MOMA, I just flatly didn't understand how Pollock had approached it. It looks "ok" in Landau, but with a lessened resolution that just slightly confuses the webbing throughout.
Still, I value the book and particularly its text. As for the reproduction quality, I did buy a second copy to cannibalize it; I've posted many laminated pages throughout my classroom. But I got that copy at remaindered prices. At full cost, this is a 3 1/2 or 4 star book. At bargain prices, the book rates 4 or 4 1/2 stars. Varnedoe/Karmel is just visually superior.
A gorgeous retrospective of a brilliant body of work.......2001-05-19
This intelligent and lavishly illustrated volume, which first appeared in a 1989 hardcover edition, covers Pollock's entire career, his early influences, and the progression of the themes, techniques, and accomplishments of his life as an artist. Ellen Landau's text is enlightening, but the best part of this book is, inevitably, the illustrations themselves, which are an unparalleled feast for the eyes. For those who want to experience and understand Pollock's art (rather than dwell on his personal problems) this is an excellent choice.
Average customer rating:
- Astonishing volume
- Love it
- Beautiful book
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The Stamp of Impulse: Abstract Expressionist Prints
David Acton
Manufacturer: Hudson Hills Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Expressionism
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ASIN: 1555952135 |
Book Description
This magnificent volume is the first comprehensive study of the influence of Abstract Expressionism on printmaking.
Customer Reviews:
Astonishing volume.......2005-09-10
While now only available in the secondary market, and rather expensive, this book is worth every penny. Lavishly illustrated, this book provides an astonishing window into the little-known world of abstract expressionist graphic works. I cannot recommend it more highly. Whatever the price you pay, I'm certain you won't be disappointed.
Love it.......2002-02-28
This is a fabulous book, very carfully thought out and nicely produced. It contains copious biographical facts on each artist, including many who are relatively unknown. It also includes some rare works, such as the only known print by Mark Rothko. I recommend it highly.
Beautiful book.......2002-02-04
Before this book (and the exhibition it reflects),who knew that the Abstract Expressionist painters worked not only in the big mural or wall-sized scale but also in prints, some very small? This is a brilliant act of scholarship that is a gift to every viewer's eye.
Book Description
Abstract Expressionism is arguably the most important art movement in postwar America. Many of its creators and critics became celebrities, participating in heated public debates that were published in newspapers, magazines, and exhibition catalogues. This up-to-date anthology is the first comprehensive collection of key critical writings about Abstract Expressionism from its inception in the 1940s to the present day.
Ellen G. Landau’s masterful introduction presents and analyzes the major arguments and crucial points of view that have surrounded the movement decade by decade. She then offers a selection of readings, also organized by decade, including influential statements by such artists as Mark Rothko, Robert Motherwell, Jackson Pollock, and Barnett Newman as well as the commentary of diverse critics. Offering new insights into the development of Abstract Expressionism, this rich anthology also demonstrates the ongoing impact of this revolutionary and controversial movement.
Reading Abstract Expressionism is essential for the library of any curator, scholar, or student of twentieth-century art.
Average customer rating:
- A worthwhile assembly of relatively unknown works
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Abstract Expressionism: Works on Paper : Selections from the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Lisa Mintz Messinger
Manufacturer: Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Amazon.com
Most abstract expressionists are best known for their large-scale paintings and sculptures. This book presents a more intimate view of the work of such artists as de Kooning, Rothko, Pollock, and Motherwell by exploring their smaller works on paper. These less well-known pieces help explain their more famous counterparts. The details and nuance of the works are visible in the well-executed reproductions. The Metropolitan Museum's assistant curator of 20th-century art has written an interesting and informative essay about the importance of drawing in an artists' oeuvre that is an excellent accompaniment to the book's visual elements.
Customer Reviews:
A worthwhile assembly of relatively unknown works.......2001-07-26
In 1940's New York, a handful of artists from varied backgrounds began producing work equal to the finest of the European avant garde. Although these artists worked in a wide variety of individual styles, all of them were connected by a similar belief in the ability of art to communicate fundamental truths about human psychology and experience. Drawing on mythological and psychological sources, and inspired by the presence of many members of the exiled European avant garde in New York, this small group of men and women created the first wholly American modernist style, Abstract Expressionism. From the mid-1940's until the ascendancy of Pop Art in the early 1960's, Abstract Expressionism was the most important movement in the Western art world, and one which remains influential even today. While the paintings of the Abstract Expressionists are the movement's best-known works, drawing was a fundamental means of communication for these artists. This book documents a small but exquisite exhibition of drawings held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You will find exemplary works from the "big names" (Pollock, Motherwell, Rothko, Willem de Kooning) reproduced here, along with important drawings by less well-known artists like Theodoros Stamos, Anne Ryan, and Mark Tobey. The diverse selection of works provides a broader overview of Abstract Expressionism than is usually seen in the art world, which has tended over the past few decades to discuss the movement through monographic exhibitions focussing on its most famous practitioners. This handsome volume restores coherency to the Abstract Expressionist story. It seems that art like this - both formally and conceptually serious - has vanished from the contemporary American scene, which has chosen to either follow the Warhol/Duchamp route of easy, jokey satire, or the equally easy road of explicit and didactic politics. This books documents a world where artists were still capable of taking painting in directions which explored the labyrinth of the mind and extended perception into new realms. An inspiring work of art history.
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New York School Abstract Expressionists: Artists Choice by Artists: A Complete Documentation of the New York Painting and Sculpture Annuals; 1951-1957
The San Francisco School of Abstract Expressionism
Abstract Expressionism: Other Politics
Abstract Expressionism: A Critical Record
Abstract Expressionism: The International Context
