Synopses & Reviews
The British Artists Series from Tate Publishing provides an affordable and accessible introduction, in a hardcover format, to some of the greatest figures in British Art. See abramsbooks.com for the complete list.
Known for his iconic and vibrant paintings of modern life that reinvigorated traditional artistic genres such as the still life, Patrick Caulfield (1936and#8211;2005) drew his subject matter more from the masters of modern art, such as Braque and Gris, than from the consumer culture that preoccupied his fellow artists. Celebrating the artistand#8217;s mastery of color and graphic elegance as well as his wit, this book offers the chance to reassess his influences and the legacy of his approach to painting, and its publication coincides with a survey of Caulfieldand#8217;s work at Tate Britain.
Caulfield favored a reductive, streamlined use of line and the depiction of everyday objects saturated in color. Introduced to screenprinting by Richard Hamilton and Chris Prater in 1964, Caulfield consistently used the medium for his graphic work thereafter. The deceptive simplicity of his images, perfectly matched by the aesthetic capacities of the process, is clear throughout the various phases of his printmaking career.
Synopsis
This book is a comprehensive introduction to the life and work of the important British abstract painter William Scott (1913and#8211;1989). After studying at Belfast College of Art and the Royal Academy of Arts in London, Scott began his painting career in 1946 while teaching at Bath Academy of Art, concentrating on still lifes of household objects. By 1951, the forms had begun to take on a life of their own, sometimes as metaphors of erotic encounters between male and female. Moving back and forth between abstract and representational styles, Scott gained international renown and has been the subject of exhibitions around the world, including a major retrospective at Tate in 1972.
Synopsis
J. M. W. Turner (1775and#150;1851) is probably Britainand#8217;s greatest painter. Both profoundly original and astonishingly prolific, he helped transform landscape painting into an expressive art form of enormous range and power. This book reveals the extent to which Turner wanted his paintings to communicate intellectually as well as emotionally and how he used landscape as a vehicle for deep ruminations on society, politics, and the human condition. Sam Smiles discusses and illustrates the whole range of Turnerand#8217;s work.
Synopsis
Terry Frost (1915andndash;2003) was one of Britainandrsquo;s great abstract painters. His career started with his introduction to art in a prisoner of war camp, and stretched into the 21st century. Resolutely abstract and joyful, his paintings, collages, and sculptures are known for their exuberance and strong color. In this book, Chris Stephens presents Frostandrsquo;s art in historical and international context.
About the Author
Chris Stephens is lead curator of modern British art and head of displays at Tate Britain.