Synopses & Reviews
Jackson Pollock's major early work (1943) was commissioned by Peggy Guggenheim for the entrance hall of her East 61st Street New York residence. Mural-sized, though not actually a mural--the work is painted on a six-meter-long canvas, not directly onto the wall--this vast, frieze-like panorama would be hugely influential in twentieth-century American art. In Mural , David Anfam explores the painting and its impact by way of the different themes it incorporates, including the imagery of action and process, the big picture, the "gothic," the body, dance, and Romanticism, relating them to art historical precedents, Abstract Expressionism, Pollock's psychology, and the context of American art and culture in the pre- and postwar years. This analysis is accompanied by reproductions of Pollock's work as well as imagery from the period that sheds light on the artist's development. Gifted to the University of Iowa Museum of Art in 1948, has rarely traveled, and it is now the focus of a traveling exhibition curated by Anfam. This accompanying volume offers crucial analysis and historical background on one of Pollock's most significant works.
Review
"Vividly bound in neon green.
Review
"This passionately argued text by Anfam delves into the personal, cultural, and artistic forces that helped shape Pollock's largest and, according to the author, most influential painting. Richly analytical, and with 106 illustrations including pages from Pollock's sketchbooks, the text draws compelling connections between Pollock's work and the paintings of J.M.W. Turner, the writings of Charles Olson, and the biological examinations of human form by D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson. This insightful study is a welcome analysis of a single work by Pollock." Publisher's Weekly
Review
"Excellent.
Review
"Excellent.
Synopsis
An astute, beautifully illustrated examination of the recently restored touchstone of modern art
Synopsis
InJackson Pollock's Mural: Energy Made Visible, David Anfam explores the painting and its impact by way of the different themes it incorporates, including the imagery of action and process, the big picture, the gothic, the body, dance, and Romanticism, relating them to art historical precedents, Abstract Expressionism, Pollock s psychology, and the context of American art and culture in the pre- and postwar years. This analysis is accompanied by reproductions of Pollock s work as well as imagery from the period that sheds light on the artist s development. Gifted to the University of Iowa Museum of Art in 1948, Mural has rarely traveled, and it is now the focus of a traveling exhibition curated by Anfam. This accompanying volume offers crucial analysis and historical background on one of Pollock s most significant works. "
About the Author
David Anfam is a writer, curator, and leading authority on modern American art. His books include the catalogue raisonné Mark Rothko: The Works on Canvas, which won the 2000 Mitchell Prize for the History of Art, and Jackson Pollock's Mural: Energy Made Visible.