Societe Anonyme Modernism For America

This beautifully illustrated book highlights the unique history of The Sociand#233;tand#233; Anonyme, Inc., an organization founded in 1920 by the artists Katherine S. Dreier (1877and#150;1952), Marcel Duchamp (1887and#150;1968), and Man Ray (1890and#150;1976). As Americaand#8217;s first and#147;experimental museumand#8221; for modern art, the Sociand#233;tand#233; Anonyme provided a means for artists, rather than historians, to chronicle the rise of modernism. Led by Dreier and Duchamp, the group eventually assembled a collection of more than one thousand artworks, which it presented to the public in a variety of innovative programs, publications, and exhibitions.

The incredible collection of the Sociand#233;tand#233; Anonyme now belongs to the Yale University Art Gallery, a gift from the Sociand#233;tand#233; and Dreier. It features the work of more than one hundred artists, many of whom are among the centuryand#8217;s most renownedand#151;including Jean Arp, Duchamp, Max Ernst, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, El Lissitzky, Piet Mondrian, Man Ray, Kurt Schwitters, and Joseph Stellaand#151;as well as works by lesser-known artists whose contributions to modernism are substantial.

With new archival information, including personal correspondence between Dreier and the artists whose work she assembled, a host of previously unpublished images,and#160;essays by leading scholars, and an interview with artists Robert and Sylvia Mangold about the contemporary significance of this collection, this fascinating book is essential to our understanding of the reception and interpretation of modernism in America.

and#8220;This catalogue is a must-read document of a thrilling time when a community of artists was making its own rules, and waiting for history to catch up.and#8221;and#8212;Nicholas Weist, Whitewall

A visual feast of modern European and American art from one of the twentieth century's most extraordinary collections

This beautifully illustrated book highlights the unique history of The Soci t Anonyme, Inc., an organization founded in 1920 by the artists Katherine S. Dreier (1877-1952), Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968), and Man Ray (1890-1976). As America's first "experimental museum" for modern art, the Soci t Anonyme provided a means for artists, rather than historians, to chronicle the rise of modernism. Led by Dreier and Duchamp, the group eventually assembled a collection of more than one thousand artworks, which it presented to the public in a variety of innovative programs, publications, and exhibitions.

The incredible collection of the Soci t Anonyme now belongs to the Yale University Art Gallery, a gift from the Soci t and Dreier. It features the work of more than one hundred artists, many of whom are among the century's most renowned--including Jean Arp, Duchamp, Max Ernst, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, El Lissitzky, Piet Mondrian, Man Ray, Kurt Schwitters, and Joseph Stella--as well as works by lesser-known artists whose contributions to modernism are substantial.

With new archival information, including personal correspondence between Dreier and the artists whose work she assembled, a host of previously unpublished images, essays by leading scholars, and an interview with artists Robert and Sylvia Mangold about the contemporary significance of this collection, this fascinating book is essential to our understanding of the reception and interpretation of modernism in America.

This critical look at the distinctive, experimental uses of drawing of five contemporary artists reveals how they radically expand and transform the discipline beyond linear representation.

Drawing Redefined offers an original, critical look at the distinctive role drawing plays in the processes of five influential contemporary artists.and#160; For Roni Horn, Esther Klandauml;s, Joandeuml;lle Tuerlinckx, Richard Tuttle, and Jorinde Voigt drawing is an essential medium in their multimedia and object-based work. Drawing affirms these artistsandrsquo; tactile engagementand#160;with the world and serves as a means for aesthetic experimentation and inquiry. In these artistsandrsquo; hands and through their bodies, the traditional practice of drawing is transformed into an exploration of time and space not necessarily bound to the page or the wall, manifest in film, sculpture, and painting. Following an introduction that traces the art historical precedents of drawingandrsquo;s key role in 20th-century artistic practice, noted scholars of contemporary art provide essays that explore the individual work of each artist and the vital place drawing maintains within it. Their diverse and compelling works of art are featured in 60 color illustrations.

Jennifer R. Gross is Seymour H. Knox, Jr., Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Susan Greenberg is Horace W. Goldsmith Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, and Elise K. Kenney is historian and archivist, all at the Yale University Art Gallery. Ruth L. Bohan is associate professor of art history at the University of Missouriand#150;St. Louis. David Joselit is professor of art history at Yale University. Dickran Tashjian is professor emeritus of art history at the University of California, Irvine. Kristina Wilson is assistant professor of art history at Clark University.