Synopses & Reviews
The work of Barnett Newman (1905andndash;1970) has come to define the spiritual aspirations and material innovations of American painting in the mid-20th century. Best known for his zip paintingsandmdash;in which thin vertical lines rise through large, bold planes of colorandmdash;Newmanandrsquo;s work was an abrupt departure from his contemporariesandrsquo; gestural abstraction, yet anticipated Color Field painting.
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During the last five years of his life, Newman worked primarily in acrylic rather than oil paint, used increasingly vibrant colors, and experimented with shaped canvases. When he died at the age of 65, he left a group of works hanging in his studio, some deemed unfinished. Centered on three of these works, this book builds upon ten years of exhaustive technical research to provide a rare glimpse of Newmanandrsquo;s relatively mysterious artistic process. The first scholarly publication devoted to the last years of Newmanandrsquo;s oeuvre, it featuresand#160;more than 20 paintings from this period and earlier. The authors present eye-opening analysis of these unfinished works as well as rich insight into Newmanandrsquo;s full body of work. This striking volume also includes photographic close-ups and scientific imaging that reveal previously unknown aspects of Newmanandrsquo;s mediums and techniques.
Review
“Handsome small catalog” —Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times
Review
and#8220;Handsome small catalogand#8221; and#8212;Los Angeles Times
Synopsis
American artist Vija Celmins (b. 1938) is widely admired and respected for her sublime images of night skies and ocean waves.
Vija Celmins: Television and Disaster, 1964-1966 looks closely at Celmins's early work, which is deeply engaged with the Pop Art scene of 1960s Los Angeles. The authors argue convincingly for a better understanding of this body of work, which is not well known by contemporary audiences, both within Celmins's overall career, and as part of the complicated historical context in which she was working.
The book illustrates Celmins's work from the mid-1960s. These paintings and sculptures of war planes, smoking guns, and other representations of death and disaster were informed by images found in books and magazines. Also reflecting the moment when print began to give way to television, as well as the impact of the first televised war, they are creative interpretations of a world destabilized by the turmoil of war and domestic political conflicts.
Synopsis
An enlightening study of Barnett Newmanandrsquo;s last works, based on a decade of exhaustive research
Synopsis
Based on ten years of technical research, this handsome book offers the first in-depth examination of Barnett Newmanandrsquo;s late works, providing rare insights into Newmanandrsquo;s materials and process.
About the Author
Bradford A. Epley is chief conservator andand#160;Michelle White is curator, both at the Menil Collection.and#160;Sarah K. Rich is an associate professor of art history at Pennsylvania State University.